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STRANGE STORIES FROM HISTORY 

Each Post 8vo, Illustrated, with Introduction, 60 cents. 

AMERICAN HISTORICAL FICTION FOR BOYS AND GIRLS 

These books tell thrilling stories of the personal life 
and heroic deeds of Americans in the great struggles 
of Colonial times, the Revolution, 1812, and 1861, 
which have welded together and built up the American 
nation. They are full of a close human interest and a 
dramatic quality which cannot be imparted in compact 
histories, although these tales are usually founded upon 
actual historical events. They enlist and hold the at- 
tention of readers, and they also clear the historical per- 
spective and convey lessons in courage and patriotism. 
Mr. George Cary Eggleston’s successful “Strange Stories 
from History” deals in part with heroes of other nations, 
but these books, while similar to that in many respects, 
tell of those whose gallant deeds gave us the America 
of to-day. 

The following are the titles: 

STRANGE STORIES OF COLONIAL DAYS. By 
Francis Sterne Palmer, Hezekiah Butterworth, 
Francis S. Drake, G. T. Ferris, Rowan Stevens, 
and others. 

STRANGE STORIES OF THE REVOLUTION. By 
Molly Elliot Seawell, Howard Pyle, Win- 
throp Packard, Percival Ridsdale, and others. 

STRANGE STORIES OF 1812. By W. J. Hender- 
son, James Barnes, S. G. W. Benjamin, Francis 
Sterne Palmer, and others. 

STRANGE STORIES OF THE CIVIL WAR. By 
Robert Shackleton, W. J. Henderson, Capt. How- 
ard Patterson, U.S.N., L. E. Chittenden, Gen. 
G. A. Forsyth, U.S.A., and others. 






HAROLD ESCAPES INTO THE TUNNEL 















tmfiARY Of CONGRESS 
Two Cooies Received 

MAV 9 1 907 

V Copyright Ervtry 

• </Cj 

CLASS /4 XXc„ No. 

/7 <^cr/3 

COPY B. 



Copyright, 1907, by Harper & Brothers. 


All rights reserved. 
Published May, 1907. 


Printed in U. S. of America. 


CONTENTS 


i * 

THE BROKEN PADDLE 
The Battle of Lake Erie and a Boy’s Race for His 
Father’s Life 

II 

HAROLD WHITE’S PERIL 
A Tale of the Massacre at Fort Dearborn ( Chicago ) 
in l8l2 

By G. T. Ferris 

III 

THE STORY OF NOEL DUVAL 
A Young Hero of the Hew York Frontier in 1814 
By Francis Sterne Palmer 

IV 

THE CHASE OF THE “HORNET” IN 1812 

V 

“JACK’S FAVORITE” 

The Strange End of a Fight at Sea 
By S. G. W. Benjamin 

VI 

A YANKEE SMACK AND A BRITISH CRUISER 
By S. G. W. Benjamin 


v 


CONTENTS 


VII 

HOW THE “GENERAL ARMSTRONG” FOUGHT 
THREE BRITISH SHIPS 
By S. G. W. Benjamin 

VIII 

THE “CONSTITUTION” 

The Three Days' Chase of the “ Constitution ” 
(July IJ, 18, 19, 1812) 

By James Barnes 

IX 

THE “CONSTITUTION” AND THE 
“GUERRIERE” 

(August ip, 1812) 

By James Barnes 

X 

THE “CONSTITUTION” AND THE “JAVA” 
(December 29, 1812) 

By James Barnes 

XI 

THE * ‘ CONSTITUTION, ” THE “CYANE,” AND 
THE “LEVANT” 

(February 20, 1815) 

By James Barnes 


ILLUSTRATIONS 


HAROLD ESCAPES INTO THE TUNNEL . 

johnnie’s bullet had struck the Ind- 
ian’s PADDLE 

THE COMMODORE PULLED THE LANYARD . 
“RAIDERS FROM CANADA ARE COMING!” HE 

GASPED 

SOMETIMES THE BIG ONE WOULD THROW A 
SHOT ON BOARD OF THE SCHOONER . 
THEY BEGAN THE WEARY WORK OF TOW- 
ING 

THE SURRENDER OF THE “ GUERRIERE ” . 
THE “ CONSTITUTION ” RAKINGTHE “ CYANE ” 


Frontispiece 


Facing p. 

3° " y 

< 4 

5 2 ^ 

4 4 

106 ^ 

4 4 

I 12 

4 4 

152 

4 4 

170 

44 

208 



INTRODUCTION 

S T was Benjamin Franklin who 
said that the war which began in 
1775 was simply the Revolution, 
and that the War of Independence 
was yet to come. Not until the War of 1812 
did the United States free itself wholly from 
foreign control, and then only at the cost of 
many errors and defeats. The splendid 
record of our navy, as outlined in Mr. James 
Barnes’ graphic Naval Actions of 1812, was 
accompanied by a series of land disasters in 
the campaign for the conquest of Canada 
which continued, with a few conspicuous ex- 
ceptions, from the first fighting in Michigan 
and the massacre at Fort Dearborn — now 
Chicago — up to the American successes at 
Lundy’s Lane and Plattsburgh. 

Of the actual conditions resulting from 
ix 


INTRODUCTION 


the “On to Canada” movement which was 
as popular as the “On to Richmond” of the 
early Civil War, most writers have said less 
than of the glorious frigate actions in which 
our sailors proved their superiority. But our 
soldiers and sailors were of one blood, and 
although the latter had advantages in train- 
ing, and above all in leadership, which were 
denied our soldiers until the end, the cam- 
paigns along the Canadian frontier also 
proved the heroism of Americafis. It is the 
thrilling events of this warfare against the 
British and their Indian allies that are pict- 
ured in the first part of this book. The pluck 
and achievement of a boy in the days of 
Perry’s victory on Lake Erie, the grim scenes 
when the present site of Chicago was stained 
with the blood of defenceless Americans, and 
the exploit of a young hero on the Northern 
New York frontier in 1814, are tales which 
quicken a realizing sense of the struggle of 
those years. 

Victories at sea like those of the Constitu- 
tion , United States, Hornet , Enterprise, Wasp, 
and Peacock, have been remembered more 


x 


INTRODUCTION 


vividly than the disasters of the northern 
land campaigns, just as militant Americans 
prefer to dwell upon the battle of New Or- 
leans rather than the British capture of 
Washington. The glory of those naval vic- 
tories fired the country. There were ban- 
quets and receptions for returning conquerors, 
rude pictures of the battles were preserved 
in mirrors and china, and every poet burst 
into a paean of triumph. The privateers 
may have had less glory, but as Mr. Benja- 
min’s chapter suggests, their part was a val- 
iant one. It was reckoned that 1750 Brit- 
ish vessels were captured by our little navy 
and our privateers in the course of the war, 
against only 686 American vessels taken by 
the infinitely superior naval power of Great 
Britain. Surely in spite of the explanations 
of James and other English naval writers, 
there was abundant justification for pride in 
these victories of our hastily built vessels 
over the ships of a nation hitherto invincible 
at sea — victories won when Nelson’s achieve- 
ments at Aboukir Bay and Trafalgar were 
only a few years old. 


xi 


INTRODUCTION 


Of all our successes in these actions of 
single ships — for our infant navy was far 
from opposing fleets or squadrons to Great 
Britain’s sea power — it is the story of Old 
Ironsides , the one ship still left to us, in spite 
of much rebuilding, that offers the most 
typical picture of American seamanship, skill 
in gunnery, and undaunted courage. The 
four great scenes in the life of the Constitution 
are depicted in this book by Mr. James Barnes, 
whose admirable Naval Actions of 1812 con- 
tains so many vivid descriptions of the 
prowess which challenged Britannia’s rule 
at sea. 


STRANGE STORIES OF 1812 





STRANGE STORIES 
OF 1812 


1 

THE BROKEN PADDLE 

The Battle of Lake Erie and a Boy’s Race for his 
Father’s Life 

I 

S WO things were troubling Johnnie 
Davis. The first was the evident 
dislike of Franklin Beers, chief 
of scouts, for Henry Davis, the 
boy's father ; the second was the curious looks 
and actions of Hunting-Dog, the new Indian 
scout. Henry Davis was known all through 
that region as Feather-Foot, and was ac- 
counted one of the very best scouts in the 
service of the United States. Franklin Beers 


1 


STRANGE STORIES OF M2 


was madly jealous of this man’s rising rep- 
utation, and was ready to do anything in 
his power to injure him. It was unfortunate 
for Davis that the commanding officer, Major 
Croghan, was such a young man. Had he 
been older, Beers would have had less in- 
fluence with him; but as it was, Beers had so 
worked upon his mind that he was ready to 
believe anything. 

Hunting-Dog, the Indian, had arrived at 
the fort a short time before this story begins. 
He had come in from the woods, tattered 
and worn, and had said that he was a Dela- 
ware, travelling westward in search of the 
relatives of his dead wife, who had been a 
Wyandotte. He offered to remain at the 
fort and serve as a scout till the end of the 
war, if the commanding officer would consent 
to feed and arm him. Major Croghan took 
the Indian into his service, but both Johnnie 
Davis and his father thought the savage 
showed a suspicious interest in the talk of 
the garrison. They decided to keep an eye 
on the savage, and contrived to have him as- 
signed to scouting duty in their company. 


THE BROKEN PADDLE 

At the time when the incidents about to 
be described took place the United States was 
engaged in the second war for independence. 
While Napoleon was shaking Europe to its 
centre our country maintained a strict neu- 
trality, and thus our merchant vessels, “be- 
ing allowed free intercourse between English 
and French ports, enjoyed the vast advan- 
tages of a profitable carrying-trade between 
them.” But Great Britain and France were 
so eager to injure one another that they did 
not consider the rights of this country. 
England declared the whole coast of Europe, 
from Elbe, in Germany, to Brest, in France, 
to be in a state of blockade, and Napoleon 
proclaimed the British islands to be in a 
similar state. Then American ships began 
to be seized by English and French cruisers. 
To make matters worse, England claimed the 
right to search American vessels for supposed 
deserters from the British navy; and thus 
some American sailors were pressed into the 
service of England. The result was that en- 
gagements were fought between English and 
American men-of-war, and the people of the 
3 


STRANGE STORIES OF 1812 

United States demanded that Congress should 
take action. 

Matters on the land were quite as bad as 
they were on the water. In the spring of 
1811, the celebrated Shawnee chief Tecum - 
seh, assisted by his twin-brother, the Prophet, 
succeeded in forming a confederation of the 
Indian tribes in the Northwest, embracing 
the Delawares, Shawnees, Wyandottes, Mia- 
mis, Kickapoos, Winnebagos, and Chippe- 
was. It was evident that these savages were 
incited to union against our country by 
British influence from Canada. The frontier 
settlers became so much alarmed by the 
warlike dances and rites of the Indians, 
that in the autumn of 1811 General William 
Henry Harrison, afterwards President, and 
the grandfather of another President, Benja- 
min Harrison, marched against the Prophet’s 
town at the junction of the Wabash and 
Tippecanoe rivers in Indiana. The Indians 
tried to surprise the soldiers, but were beaten 
in a desperate battle. This battle, in which 
the hand of Great Britain was plainly evi- 
dent, added to the outrages at sea, resulted 
4 


THE BROKEN PADDLE 


in a formal declaration of war against Eng- 
land on June 19, 1812. Congress at once 
went to work to strengthen the army and 
the navy, and the war began in solemn 
earnest. Tecumseh and his Indian forces 
openly joined hands with the English, and 
kept up a deadly conflict in the Northwest. 
Our little navy covered itself with glory at 
sea, but one of the most decisive naval bat- 
tles of the war was fought on Lake Erie in 
1813, almost simultaneously with a signal 
defeat of English and Indian forces on the 
land near the lake. It is to the southwestern 
borders of Lake Erie in the summer of 1813, 
then, that we must now turn our attention. 

One beautiful morning, about three weeks 
after the arrival of Hunting -Dog, the two 
Davises and the Indian were outlying on the 
bank of the river some distance below the 
fort. They had been ordered to go to the 
northward to look for signs of the enemy; 
and now, when the time had come to move 
on, the Indian was opposed to going down 
the river in the canoe. After a long discus- 
sion, the two scouts decided to let him have 
5 


STRANGE STORIES OF 1812 


his own way, just to see what would come 
of it. 

“Wait a minute, father,” said the boy; 
“let me see if the canoe is well hidden before 
we leave it.” 

He made a movement towards the bank 
above the camp, but the Indian stopped 
him. 

“Canoe safe,” he said. “Hunting-Dog 
saw.” 

“ When ?” asked the boy. 

“When the sun was there,” answered the 
Indian, pointing towards the west. 

“ Last night ? I’d better look again.” 

The Indian still held the boy’s arm. His 
glance turned towards the ground, and for a 
moment he stood rigid, with his nostrils 
dilating, in an attitude of intense attention. 
At the same instant the elder Davis bent his 
head, and appeared to be listening. 

“Go,” said Hunting- Dog, releasing the 
boy, and walking away a few paces as if 
annoyed. He leaned against a tree, behind 
which were thick bushes, and stared into the 
woods. Johnnie Davis, trusting his father 
6 


THE BROKEN PADDLE 


to watch the Indian, turned away to seek for 
the canoe. At that moment Henry Davis, 
well-named Feather-Foot, sank to the earth 
and noiselessly glided away into the forest. 
It seemed for a few seconds as if even the 
keen sense of the Indian had failed to detect 
his movements; but Hunting- Dog, a moment 
later, leaned back against the tree, slid down- 
ward against its trunk, and vanished. Simul- 
taneously with his disappearance the voice of 
the boy was heard : 

“ Ha! the canoe is gone!” 

Receiving no answer, Johnnie bounded 
back to the spot he had just quitted, and, to 
his dismay, found that his father and the 
Indian were no longer there. For a second 
he was at a loss what to do. Then he pressed 
forward with the noiseless step of a back- 
woodsman into the forest. He had not gone 
over three hundred yards when he heard 
voices, and, peering through the bushes, saw 
in conversation with a British officer and four 
Indians, armed and in war-paint, his father! 

The next instant Johnnie was stealing 
through the woods in the direction of the 
7 


STRANGE STORIES OF 1812 

fort, some four miles away ; for he knew at 
once that an attack was imminent. He 
reached the fort safely and told his story to 
Major Croghan. Franklin Beers was present, 
and soon convinced the young commander 
that Davis’s conduct was evidence of treach- 
ery. Support was given to this view of the 
case by an attack on the fort by a force of 
British and Indians under General Proctor 
at ten o’clock that morning. The assailants 
were repulsed and some of them captured. 
Among the prisoners was Johnnie’s father, 
who was at once placed under arrest, charged 
with being a spy. A court-martial was sum- 
moned at one o’clock to try him, and on slight 
circumstantial evidence he was found guilty, 
and sentenced to be shot at sunrise the next 
„ day. Then Johnnie sprang to his feet, and 
begged for permission to address the court. 
He described the conduct of Hunting- Dog, 
and told how he and his father had suspected 
the Indian from the first. He spoke with 
great earnestness, and so impressed the mem- 
bers of the court that when he closed by 
pleading for an opportunity to prove his 
8 


THE BROKEN PADDLE 


father’s innocence, they were disposed to 
grant his request. 

“What do you propose to do?” asked the 
surgeon, who was president of the court. 

“To find Hunting-Dog, bring him alive to 
the fort, and let this court examine him.” 

“That’s a big undertaking,” said the sur- 
geon, and Beers argued that it was against 
all military usage to permit such a thing. 
But Major Croghan, whose certainty of 
Davis’s guilt had been somewhat shaken by 
the forcible and picturesque story of the 
resolute youth, favored his bold request. 
The weight of the commanding officer’s 
wishes was naturally very great with the 
other members of the court, though Beers 
strove to show that Johnnie’s story did not 
add anything to what they already knew. 
Nevertheless, after a short discussion, the 
court decided to allow the boy five days in 
which to find Hunting-Dog and bring him 
to the fort. With glowing cheeks and flash- 
ing eyes the generous youth caught up his 
rifle and accoutrements. 

“Oh, thank you all!” he exclaimed, his 
9 


STRANGE STORIES OF 1812 


voice trembling with emotion; “this means 
that my father’s life is saved! Father, you 
need not be discouraged ; you know my eye 
on a trail. I’ll bring back that sneaking 
Indian, and he shall tell the truth.” 

The father and son looked intently at each 
other for a moment. The boy stepped for- 
ward and wrung his parent’s hand convul- 
sively. 

44 God bless you, Johnnie!” said the scout, 
deeply moved, while all in the room were 
silent. 

Then Johnnie Davis, looking every inch 
worthy of his Indian name of Strong-Heart, 
swung his rifle over his shoulder, and passed 
out of the fort with long swinging stride into 
the woods. 


ii 

To start alone upon the trail of an army, 
more than half of which was composed of 
Indians, whose senses in the forest were twice 
as keen as those of the ordinary white man, 
was a tremendous undertaking for a boy of 
10 


THE BROKEN PADDLE 


eighteen. But Johnnie Davis was not an 
ordinary white man. He was as strong of 
heart as he was of body, and in these days 
would be a great centre-rush on a football 
team. In his time, however, boys had little 
play; their sport was all in deadly earnest, 
and the balls were made of lead. So Johnnie 
in the forest became the cautious backwoods- 
man, all his senses alert to detect any sign of 
danger. Half a mile south of the fort he 
struck the trail of the retreating forces. 

“Now,” he said to himself, “did Hunting- 
Dog go with the main body, or did he depart 
in a different direction?” 

This was a very important question. To 
follow the wrong trail would mean a serious, 
perhaps fatal, loss of time. The boy dropped 
on his hands and knees and began a minute 
examination of the earth. For three-quar- 
ters of an hour he crawled about, turning over 
leaves, sticks, and stones. 

“I believe,” he said, rising, “that this is 
the spot where the whole force gathered after 
the repulse and began the march westward. 
Yet it is possible that Hunting-Dog did not 


ii 


STRANGE STORIES OF 1812 

start with them. I must overtake the main 
command and see for myself whether the 
Indian is with it.” 

So saying, he trailed his rifle, and bending 
forward so as to keep his eyes on the broad 
trail, started off to the northward and west- 
ward on a gentle trot. For two hours he 
kept this up, and then it became evident to 
him that he was close on the heels of the 
British and Indians. Now it became neces- 
sary to be especially cautious, because there 
were sure to be Indian scouts in the rear of 
the main column. Strong-Heart advanced 
very slowly, pausing every few steps to listen. 
Presently he came to a small brook, and he 
felt certain that somewhere on its banks the 
detachment would encamp. He had hardly 
come to this conclusion when he heard the 
snapping of a dry twig in the woods. He 
dropped on his breast, and wriggled into the 
bushes like a snake. A moment later six 
Indians passed in single file. The rearmost 
of them was Hunting-Dog. They descended 
the bank of the brook, and then began walk- 
ing in the water up-stream. 


12 


THE BROKEN PADDLE 


“ Water leaves no trail, eh ?” thought John- 
nie ; “ but I don’t need a trail when I can see 
six big braves.” 

Johnnie watched the savages till they dis- 
appeared behind the trees. Then he was 
about to rise and follow them, when he heard 
a heavy step approaching. He sank into the 
bushes again, and saw an English officer, evi- 
dently of high rank, pass by. The officer 
entered the brook, and proceeded up-stream 
after the Indians. 

“ A man that walks as heavily in the woods 
as that one,” thought Johnnie, “would leave 
a trail in the Ohio River.” 

And when the officer had gone out of sight, 
the boy crawled down to the brook and 
peered in. Yes, there were the prints of the 
officer’s big heels as plain as mile-posts on 
a country road. Strong-Heart laughed softly 
while bending low so as to get cover from the 
bushes, and carrying his rifle ready for in- 
stant use, he walked in the water up the bed 
of the brook. 

It was fortunate for him that a big bush 
grew on the water’s edge at the bend around 
3 13 


STRANGE STORIES OF 1812 


which his enemies had disappeared, for they 
had halted a few yards away on the other 
side of it. Through an opening in the leaves 
he caught sight of them in time to conceal 
himself where he could see them, but could 
not hear their words. Hunting-Dog and the 
officer were in earnest conversation . J ohnnie 
would have given much to know what the 
talk was about. He saw Hunting-Dog point 
to the east and count on his fingers. Then 
the officer pointed to the north - west and 
counted in a similar manner. Next the Ind- 
ian waved his arm to the north in the direc- 
tion of the lake, and then laid his hand on 
his own breast. The officer shook his head 
and pointed to the other five Indians, but 
Hunting-Dog replied in the negative with 
much action. Presently the officer yielded 
his point, shook hands with Hunting- Dog, 
and prepared to depart. The five Indians 
gathered up their arms and spoke briefly to 
Hunting-Dog. Then the five savages and 
the white man began to retrace their steps 
down the brook, leaving Hunting-Dog lean- 
ing on his rifle under a tree. The six men 


14 


THE BROKEN PADDLE 


passed within twenty feet of Johnnie as he 
lay flat on the ground, hidden in the tangled 
undergrowth of the forest. He held his 
breath as they went by. When they were a 
safe distance below him, he raised his head 
and looked for Hunting-Dog. The Huron 
was gone. 

Now Johnnie had a serious question to an- 
swer. Should he advance to the tree where 
the Indian had just been standing, so as to 
take up the trail, and thereby take the 
chances of a shot from the rifle of the savage, 
who might be near at hand, or should he wait 
and lose valuable time ? He decided to take 
the bolder course. Dropping on his hands 
and knees close to the edge of the narrow 
streamlet, he crawled as fast as he dared up 
to the spot where the Indian had been stand- 
ing. The print of his moccasins was plainly 
visible, and Johnnie saw at once that Hunt- 
ing-Dog had started directly towards the 
lake. 

“ I understand now, I think,” said Johnnie. 
“The Indian is carrying information about 
Perry’s fleet. He has given it to General 
i5 


STRANGE STORIES OF 1812 

Proctor, and now he is to take it somewhere 
else. If I capture him I shall spoil a part of 
that scheme/’ 

The boy moved forward on the trail, but it 
was growing late in the evening, the sun was 
low, and he could see the marks but faintly. 
He knew now that the Indian meant to travel 
all night, or he would not have started after 
sundown. 

“How am I to follow a trail at night?” 
thought Johnnie; “and what am I to do if I 
camp, and let the Indian reach the lake 
alone?” 

He puzzled over this question as long as he 
was able to distinguish anything at all, but 
when gloom settled down in the woods he 
seated himself on a stone, drew some food 
from his wallet, and refreshed his exhausted 
energies. The stimulant worked wonders 
with Johnnie’s spirits. Discouragement gave 
way to hope and resolution. 

“Hunting-Dog is plainly bound for the 
lake,” he reflected, “and he’s going to take 
the straightest route. He will probably fol- 
low the lake shore when he gets there, unless 
16 


THE BROKEN PADDLE 


he is to meet some one, in which case he will 
camp. Now the right thing for me to do is 
surely to make for the lake, camp on the edge 
of the woods, and try to strike the trail at 
daylight. I don’t believe the Father of us 
all will let my father be shot unjustly, and 
I believe I’ll find that Indian.” 

The boy dropped his rifle to a trail, and 
pressed forward towards the shore of Lake 
Erie, now not more than six miles away. 
You must not imagine that he reached the 
end of his journey in an hour and a half, as 
you could walking on a country road. It 
took him nearly four hours; for he had to 
make his way through a dense forest filled 
with thick thorny undergrowth, and darker 
than a tomb, and he had to move with the 
most deliberate care lest he should come un- 
awares upon an enemy, man or beast. It 
was therefore after midnight when he heard 
the gentle wash of water on the pebbly beach, 
and caught the cool breeze off the lake. A 
few moments later he stood in the dark 
shadow of the trees on the edge of the woods, 
and gazed out over the great inland sea. 

17 


STRANGE STORIES OF 1812 


There was no moon, but the stars shone 
brightly, Jupiter drawing a long undulating 
line of gold along the crests of the ripples, 

“It’s a glorious sight,” he said, “and I 
wish I had no heavier thought on my mind 
than its beauty. Let’s see; I ought to know 
this spot. Yes, surely, it’s the old fishing- 
ground. Father and I were here once in the 
spring this year, and — yes, of course — we left 
one of our canoes here. Where was it, now ? 
Let me think. The two hemlocks and the 
tall maple in line with the crooked oak — that 
was it. Where is the oak ? Ah, it’s no use; 
it’s too dark. I must find the canoe, though, 
in the morning; I may want it. Now let me 
see, I might take a couple of hours’ sleep ; I 
may want that too.” 

Johnnie selected a sheltered spot, and 
turned in for his short rest. It was not a 
very difficult task for him to go to sleep for 
two hours and wake on time; he had been 
trained to do such things. In five minutes 
after he lay down he was as sound asleep as 
though no danger had been within twenty 
miles of him. About three o’clock he awoke 
18 


THE BROKEN PADDLE 


and beheld the first faint reflection of the 
dawn in the eastern sky. He sat up and ex- 
amined the priming of his rifle. Then he 
looked about him. It was still too dark for 
him to distinguish objects more than three or 
four yards away. He waited patiently and 
listened. Only the voices of the woodland 
birds uttering their first faint chirps of glad- 
ness at the return of daylight were audible. 
The light increased slowly, and the boy saw 
that the surface of the lake was hidden under 
a thin mist, which he knew the sun would 
soon drive away. 

A moment later he heard a sound like that 
of a foot crunching the pebbles on the shore 
of the lake, and then he saw dimly the form 
of a man passing by. For a few seconds he 
was uncertain whether it was a white man or 
an Indian ; but as the form came immediately 
opposite him, he perceived that the man was 
walking in the water, and was an Indian. 

“Water leaves no trail, sure enough,” he 
thought. “One might walk all the way to 
Buffalo along that path without leaving a 
sign. I ’d give ten pounds of powder to know 

19 


STRANGE STORIES OF J8I2 

whether that is my friend Hunting- Dog or 
not. However, he can’t get far away before 
there is light enough for me to see him by.” 

The savage was proceeding eastward, and 
Johnnie was preparing to steal after him, 
when he paused. In the growing light the 
boy saw him look carefully around him, and 
then begin to retrace his steps. He was re- 
passing Johnnie, who had sunk into the 
bushes at a distance of about a hundred feet, 
when suddenly he stopped. 

“Can he have discovered any sign of my 
presence?” thought the boy. 

The Indian gazed intently towards the 
woods, and even advanced two or three steps. 
The boy clutched his rifle firmly, and loosened 
his long hunting-knife in its sheath. The 
Indian slowly threw back his head, and look- 
ed up at the tree-tops. The light fell upon a 
sinister countenance that could not be mis- 
taken. It was Hunting-Dog. 

“ So there you are, my fine friend,” said the 
young scout to himself. “ Well, I’m not go- 
ing to shoot you, you may be sure of that, for 
to kill you would be to destroy all chance of 


20 


THE BROKEN PADDLE 


saving my father. I wonder what you are 
trying to do ? Ah, I have it ; you are looking 
for landmarks. Maybe you have a canoe 
hidden here as well as I. If that is the case, 
we may have to indulge in a boat-race before 
the day is much older.” 

The Indian examined the tree-tops care- 
fully, and then moved slowly westward. 
Presently he disappeared around a slight 
bend, and Johnnie, slipping cautiously through 
the bushes, advanced in the same direction. 
When he had reached the point around which 
Hunting-Dog had passed from his view, he 
threw himself flat on his chest, and crept 
forward like a serpent till he could see 
through the bushes. The Indian had evi- 
dently discovered the object of his search, 
for he was now moving with swiftness and 
certainty. He walked up the shore and 
plunged into the woods. In a few moments 
he reappeared, dragging a light bark canoe, 
which he pushed gently into the water. 
Then he sat down and gazed uneasily at the 
mist, which still hung over the lake. 

“There you’ll stay, my friend,” said the 


21 


STRANGE STORIES OF 1812 


boy to himself, “till the sun or a breeze scat- 
ters the mist. I think I’d better be looking 
for my own canoe. I began to be afraid that 
was what you were looking for.” 

Johnnie crept back along the shore, search- 
ing for the two hemlocks in line with the 
crooked oak and the tall maple. Presently 
he caught sight of them, and discovered that 
he had slept not ten yards away from the 
hemlocks. 

“That’s how much good a fellow’s eyes are 
in the dark,” he muttered, as he entered the 
woods. 

He found his canoe concealed in the hollow 
log where he had left it, and congratulated 
himself on the fact that no wandering Indian 
had chanced upon it since the spring. 

“What a fine pickle I’d have been in with- 
out this!” he thought, as he carefully drew it 
forth. “I might have had to shoot that 
Indian after all.” 

You may wonder why Johnnie did not at 
once set about capturing Hunting-Dog. But 
he did not wish to risk a hand-to-hand fight 
with the savage, and he felt confident that 


THE BROKEN PADDLE 

he could deal better with him on the water, 
where of the two the boy was unquestionably 
the greater expert. As he placed his canoe 
in the water, he heard a gentle rustle of the 
forest leaves, and felt a light breeze on his 
cheek. 

“Ah!” he murmured. “Now the fog will 
soon fly, and we shall see what Hunting-Dog 
is up to.” 

The mist over the surface of the lake now 
began to writhe and twist like smoke, and 
gradually to break up into shreds and 
patches. The wind was about east-south- 
east, and the mist drifted off towards the 
westerly end of the lake. At the same time 
the sun began to shine brightly, and the 
scene on the water was all gray and gold. 
Presently openings of blue began to appear; 
and then, like the changing of a scene in a 
theatre, the fog swept away, and revealed 
the azure surface of the lake sloping to the 
horizon in peace and majesty. At the same 
instant the canoe of Hunting- Dog shot out 
from the shore. 

The Indian paddled swiftly out into the 
2 3 


STRANGE STORIES OF 1812 


lake. His gaze was keenly fixed on the hori- 
zon north of him, and he did not see Johnnie 
and his canoe at the water’s edge less than a 
quarter of a mile away. The boy sat per- 
fectly still, and watched the Indian till the 
latter was fully three hundred yards out. 
Then he pushed off in his own craft, and pro- 
pelled it vigorously along the shore till he 
was directly between the Indian and the 
place whence the savage had started. At 
this moment Hunting-Dog turned his head 
and saw the boy, perceiving at the same time 
that the young scout had cut off his retreat. 
He raised his paddle, shook it defiantly, and 
then dashed away towards the north. The 
boy responded by plying his paddle vigorous- 
ly, and the pursuit began. Now Johnnie 
knew that if he could get within range, he 
could put a rifle-ball into the Indian’s canoe, 
and sink her. Hunting-Dog would have to 
abandon his gun, and swim, and would sur- 
render rather than be drowned. 

Suddenly the savage ceased paddling, and 
gave a startled look off - to the north-west. 
Then he turned the bow of his canoe dead 


24 


THE BROKEN PADDLE 


into the wind’s eye, and began to paddle 
with renewed vigor. Johnnie looked to the 
north-west to see what had alarmed the 
Indian. 

One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, 
nine sails were in sight, one of them being 
near enough for the keen-sighted boy to see 
that she was a fore-and-aft schooner with 
sheets slightly eased. 

“Perry’s squadron, as sure as the sun 
shines!” he exclaimed. “And my Indian 
friend, who was looking for Barclay’s, wants 
to get to windward. On the wind a canoe 
can beat a ship ; but there’s a paddle behind 
you, Hunting-Dog. ” 

And he dashed forward after the flying 
savage. 


hi 

“Boat ho!” 

“Where away?” 

“Two points off the lee bow! There are 
two of them, sir — canoes; both paddling 
dead to windward.” 


25 


STRANGE STORIES OF 1812 

It was aboard the good schooner Ariel , 
mounting four long twelves as her arma- 
ment, that this conversation took place. 
The Ariel was bowling along under all plain 
sail, with the wind about two points forward 
of the beam, her sheets a trifle eased, and 
everything drawing like mustard - plasters. 
Her long overhanging bow clove the waters 
right bravely, thrusting them right and left 
in clouds of smoke- like spray. Two long 
silver-topped waves spread away from the 
stem like streaming ribbons from a girl’s 
hair. The canvas towered above the decks, 
whiter than they only by a degree. The 
wind hummed among the cordage, and, with 
the hissing of the water under the schooner’s 
forefoot, had been the only sound audible 
when the cry of the lookout broke upon the 
startled ears of all oh board. Lieutenant 
Brackett, the commanding officer, young, 
ardent, ready to assume all duties himself, 
sprang into the lee main-rigging. Running 
up a few ratlines and twisting his arm around 
the main swifter, he levelled his glass. Then 
he glanced back at the main-boom. 

26 


THE BROKEN PADDLE 


“Get a pull on that main-sheet!” he cried. 
“Lively, now! She’ll stand blocking down. 
Luff her till she shakes!” 

A dozen stalwart and active tars sprang to 
the main-sheet, and bowed their backs as one 
of their number sang one of those hearty sea- 
songs that used to rumble across the decks 
of old times. The helmsman at the same 
time whirled the spokes around, and let the 
vessel slide up within two points of the wind, 
so that the luff of her main-sail shook, and 
the heavy strain went off the sheet. The 
sailors hauled away, and the big boom came 
in inch by inch till it was blocked down hard 
and fast, and the vessel was as close-hauled 
as she could be. 

“ Now give her a rapful, ” shouted Brackett, 
“and let her get her heels. There’s a chase 
ahead of us, and we must have a look at 
it.” 

Again the helmsman whirled his spokes 
around. The vessel’s head fell off, and the 
quivering jib and fore stay-sail filled away 
with a jump, and swelled out round as 
saucers and as hard as boards. The main- 
27 


STRANGE STORIES OF 1812 

sheet blocks creaked as the big main -sail 
filled. The schooner heeled far down to 
leeward till the combings of the short waves 
lapped her plank-shear. The foam spurted 
up in a glittering fountain under her lee 
bow, and she rushed forward with fresh 
speed. But the moment that she had good 
way on, the helmsman let her come up a 
little, and sailed her nicely full and by. 
Old Peter Transom, the schooner’s sailing- 
master, stood on the quarter-deck, balanc- 
ing himself on his short and sturdy legs. 
He glanced aloft approvingly, squinted at 
the fore-sheet to see that the schooner was 
not cramped, and then shambled over to 
the lee main-rigging. 

“What do you make of ’em, sir?” he said. 
“I sees a couple o’ canoes myself.” 

“It’s a young man or a big boy chasing an 
Indian,” replied Lieutenant Brackett. “The 
Indian is paddling as if for his life, but I’m 
sure the boy is gaining on him. That’s more 
than I can say for the Ariel. They’re both 
going dead to windward, and I never saw a 
schooner that could do that trick. If we 
28 


THE BROKEN PADDLE 


were only a quarter of a mile nearer we might 
have something to say. ,, 

Johnnie and Hunting-Dog were now in 
full view of all on board. When first sighted 
they had been considerably to leeward, but 
the schooner, of course, outfooted them, and 
they now came out on the schooner’s weather 
bow, not more than six hundred or seven 
hundred yards away. Johnnie’s enormous 
strength and great skill with the paddle had 
done him excellent service. In spite of the 
Indian’s most determined efforts, the young 
frontier-man’s canoe had crept up foot by 
foot till it was now not more than eighty 
yards astern of that of the flying Indian. 
The boy paddled ahead vigorously, and 
gained a few yards ; then he suddenly drop- 
ped his paddle on the bottom of his frail craft. 

“Hello!” exclaimed Lieutenant Brackett, 
“the boy’s used up.” 

“No, sir,” said Transom, coolly, “not he. 
He’s done with wood, and he’s goin’ to try 
iron.” 

“You’re right!” exclaimed the Lieutenant; 
“he’s going to shoot.” 


29 


STRANGE STORIES OF 1812 

The crew of the schooner, now intensely 
interested, crowded along the weather rail 
and fixed their eyes upon the boy. No 
sooner did he drop the paddle than he caught 
up his rifle from the bottom of the canoe, and 
raised it in the act of taking aim. For a 
fraction of a second the powerful form of the 
youth was outlined against the bright blue 
sky, hard and motionless as a statue of bronze. 
Then the rifle poured out its deadly message, 
and dropped from the young man’s shoulder. 

A general shout went up from the crew 
of the Ariel. And, indeed, there was good 
reason for the astonishment displayed by the 
sailors. For Hunting-Dog appeared to be 
unharmed, but helpless, and completely in 
their power. Johnnie’s bullet had struck 
the Indian’s paddle and broken it into three 
pieces, which flew out of Hunting-Dog’s hand 
and floated useless on the water, while his 
canoe bobbed helplessly on the surface of the 
lake. The Indian uttered a yell of rage, 
seized his rifle, and, aiming hastily, fired. 
At the same moment Johnnie fell at full 
length in the bottom of his canoe. 

30 



Johnnie’s bullet had struck the Indian’s paddle 


















































































THE BROKEN PADDLE 


“ Hard-a-lee!” shouted Lieutenant Brack- 
ett. “Let go the head-sheets!” 

The hoarse rattle of blocks and the loud 
flapping of canvas followed the cracks of the 
rifles as the Ariel spun around, and filling 
away on the port tack, rushed directly at 
the Indian’s canoe. The savage was seen 
hurriedly reloading his rifle. Brackett or- 
dered a file of marines to be drawn up along 
the starboard rail with loaded muskets. 

“Down with your helm! Steady! Haul 
the jib to windward!” 

The Ariel shot up into the wind fifty yards 
to windward of Hunting-Dog’s canoe. 

“ Come aboard, redskin !” shouted Brackett ; 
“you are covered by ten good guns, and 
you’ll be blown into dog-meat if you don’t 
obey.” 

The Indian lifted his hands and signified 
that he could not come aboard, having no 
paddle. At that moment Johnnie’s canoe 
shot around the stern of the Ariel, and the 
boy shouted : 

“I’ll give him a tow, Captain!” 

Hunting-Dog reached for his rifle, but the 
3i 


STRANGE STORIES OF 1812 

file of men on the schooner levelled their 
pieces, and the savage remained motionless, 
while Johnnie towed him to the vessel’s side. 
The two canoes and their occupants were 
taken aboard, and Lieutenant Brackett said: 

“I thought you were shot, young man.” 

“Oh, that was only an old Indian dodge. 
I fell before he fired.” 

“You look like a scout. How comes it you 
missed the Indian at a hundred yards and 
only broke his paddle?” 

“That was what I wished to do. To kill 
this savage would be to kill my father, who 
is under arrest as a spy, while this is the real 
spy.” 

“Put that savage in chains and confine 
him below,” said Brackett to his chief officer. 
“My young friend, I like your looks, and you 
know how to shoot. Come to my cabin and 
tell me your story.” 

The boy’s story was soon laid before Lieu- 
tenant Brackett, and that officer decided that 
the scout and the Indian must be taken be- 
fore Captain Perry. 

“It would be folly for you to start back 
32 


THE BROKEN PADDLE 

with this Indian all by yourself,” said 
Brackett. “We must ask the ‘ Commodore ’ 
to detail two men to go with you. He’ll do 
it. He’s the kindest and best man in the 
world. Besides, I have no authority to leave 
the squadron for the purpose of putting you 
ashore. You have five days, you say; this 
is only the first of them, and we’ll get you 
back in time.” 

“Sir,” said Johnnie, “ I beg you to put the 
Indian bound into my canoe and let me go 
away with him.” 

“ But, my boy,” said the Lieutenant, kind- 
ly, “you cannot carry the Indian on your 
back to Fort Stephenson.” 

“No, but I can paddle up the river in the 
canoe.” 

“No, no; you must not undertake the 
journey alone. Indian cunning might over- 
come you, and then both you and your father 
would perish. Come with me to the ‘Com- 
modore.’ Once get him interested in your 
story, and he will use for you his influence, 
which is not a thing to be lightly thrown 
away, I can tell you.” 

33 


STRANGE STORIES OF 1812 


“Very well, sir,” said Johnnie, “I will go. 
Only, if you find that the Commodore will do 
nothing, I am to be allowed to take this Ind- 
ian in my canoe and return to the fort.” 

“Agreed. And now for a peep at the 
weather,” said the Lieutenant, leading the 
way on deck. “Ha! it’s freshening up. 
Man the top-sail clew-lines, and fore top-mast 
stay- sail halyards ! Clew up and haul down ! 
With this breeze we’ll soon do the forty miles 
between this and Put-in-Bay.” 

“Forty miles!” 

And Johnnie’s heart fell. 


IV 

It seemed to the boy that every mile of 
water that they sailed over was closing above 
his father’s head. He had looked upon the 
appearance of Perry’s fleet as a fortunate 
thing when he had first seen the vessels on 
the lake, but now he feared that it was a 
great misfortune; and when the squadron 
anchored that evening shortly before sunset 
34 


THE BROKEN PADDLE 

in Put-in- Bay, poor Johnnie was inclined to 
fall into a fit of despair. Immediately after 
anchoring, ' however, Lieutenant Brackett 
exchanged some signals with the flag-ship 
and then ordered a boat to be lowered. In 
this boat Johnnie and the Indian, under the 
charge of Peter Transom, were transferred to 
the Commodore’s vessel. 

Captain Oliver Hazard Perry, usually call- 
ed Commodore Perry, stood upon the quar- 
ter-deck and received the boy. Encouraged 
by his benignant countenance and kindly 
words, Johnnie briefly told his story. 

“My boy,” said Perry, “you have acted 
like a good son, and it shall be my pleasure 
as well as my duty to aid you.” 

“Oh, thank you, sir,” said Johnnie, new 
courage being inspired in him by Perry’s 
words. 

“To-night,” continued the Commodore, 
“you must stay on board my ship, and in 
the morning I shall see what can be done 
for you.” 

“You are very good,” murmured Johnnie. 

“The Indian,” continued Perry, “shall be 
35 


STRANGE STORIES OF 1812 

closely confined under guard, and you shall 
have a hammock. Have you ever slept in 
a hammock ?” 

“Yes, sir,” said Johnnie; “and I know a 
lanyard from a tricing-line. ” 

“A sailor as well as a scout, eh? Ah, I 
see! You were brought up on the shores of 
this lake. And you think the Indian was 
trying to convey news of my squadron to 
Commodore Barclay ? That is hardly likely, 
for Barclay knows all about us. He has 
flaunted his flag in our faces at Erie, when 
we were behind the bar. But no matter. 
The savage is undoubtedly a British emis- 
sary, and your father must be saved.” 

“I am sure, sir,” said Johnnie, “that this 
savage obtained accurate accounts of your 
guns for the British.” 

“That may be — that may be,” said Perry, 
thoughtfully. 

The sun set in a blaze of glory that night, 
and Johnnie Davis thought he had never 
seen anything so beautiful and majestic as 
those nine war - vessels, riding silently at 
anchor, with all their awful stores of death- 
36 


THE BROKEN PADDLE 


dealing machinery silent and shut up within 
them. As the sun dropped behind the hori- 
zon, the bugles on the flag-ship sounded the 
sweet call of “Evening Colors,’ ’ the flags of 
the squadron glided gently down, and the 
dark -night pennants soared to the mast- 
heads. At the same time the anchor-lights 
rose in front of the foremasts, and the com- 
manding officer’s distinguishing signals deck- 
ed the Lawrence. The sentries were changed, 
and the quiet order of the first watch reigned. 
The big stars came out and twinkled softly 
over the waters, and the gentle breeze mur- 
mured softly in the trees along the shore. 
The soft lapping of the ripples under the bows 
and along the sides of the ship made a sooth- 
ing music, broken occasionally by the mourn- 
ful quivering note of an owl that hooted in 
the woods a mile away. 

Perhaps Johnnie would not have enjoyed 
this calm and peaceful scene so greatly if he 
could have imagined that on which his eyes 
were to gaze on the morrow. But it is a 
good thing for us all that we cannot foresee 
the future. There would be nothing but un- 
37 


STRANGE STORIES OF 1812 


happiness in such a gift. Johnnie slept well 
in his hammock, and awoke, as usual, very 
early. He went on deck, and saw that day 
was just breaking. It promised to be fair, 
warm, and calm. At 5.30 o’clock every 
one was awake aboard the Lawrence , and 
apparently aboard the other vessels. Sailing- 
master Dobbins of the flag-ship came on deck 
and looked pleased at the appearance of the 
weather. 

“Ah!” he exclaimed, “the Commodore will 
soon be feeling all right again.” 

“ Isn’t he well ?” asked Johnnie. 

“No, he’s sick enough to be in bed, but 
he won’t give up.” 

“I’m sorry for him,” said Johnnie; “he 
looks like a good man.” 

“Good? My boy, he’s a human angel. 
There ain’t a man in the fleet that wouldn’t 
die for him.” 

A few moments later, as the sailing-master 
was passing again, Johnnie went up and 
asked if he might go aloft. 

“I’ve sailed on small vessels often,” he ex- 
plained, “ and have been at the topmast-head 
38 


THE BROKEN PADDLE 

of a sloop, but I never went aloft on a big ship 
like this.” 

You must remember that in those days 
discipline was not quite so strict as it is now, 
and so Johnnie’s request was granted. He 
ran up the main-ratlines so easily that the 
sailing-master, feeling sure he was quite at 
home in the rigging, ceased to watch him. 
Having reached the main- top, and seeing the 
stout top-mast springing high in the air above 
him, the boy was seized with a longing to go 
higher. He sprang into the topmast-rigging, 
and in a few seconds was at the topmast-head. 
What a magnificent panorama of woods and 
waters spread out around him! And how 
much like flies the men looked on the decks 
below him! But above him was the top- 
gallant-mast, and Johnnie could not stay 
where he was. In less than half a minute he 
was sitting on the mainroyal-yard, as proud 
and happy as a king, thoroughly determined 
to give up scouting and go to sea. He gazed 
around him at the miles and miles of country 
that were open to his view. Then he turned 
his eyes and swept the vast expanse of the lake. 

39 


STRANGE STORIES OF 18J2 

Ah! What was that? 

His gaze had suddenly been arrested by 
something white. Yes, there were several of 
them plain enough to see. Vessels they were, 
a good fifteen miles away, but in full view of 
Johnnie from his elevation. He counted six, 
of which two were certainly square-rigged 
vessels of considerable size. Why, there were 
no such craft on the lake except those of 
Commodore Barclay and Commodore Perry. 
His duty was plain enough to the boy now. 
He lifted up his voice and shouted with all 
his power, “Sail ho!” 

“ Where away ?” came the answer from the 
deck. 

“Oh — oh — on the — the post- quarter!” 
shouted Johnnie, hesitating in his excitement. 

The next moment he was aware of an agile 
form bounding up the rigging beneath him, 
and in a few moments a young midshipman 
armed with a glass was by his side. “ You’ve 
done a good job, my friend, for that’s Barclay 
in all his glory,” said the midshipman. 

“What do you make of it, Mr. Smithers?” 
came the voice of Perry from the deck. 

. 40 


THE BROKEN PADDLE 

“The British fleet, sir, and no mistake.” 

“Get an accurate bearing and lay down, 
both of you.” 

The two youths obeyed, and were on their 
way down the rigging when the bugles of the 
flag -ship sounded the signal to get under 
way. As they scrambled down the main- 
rigging, Sailing-master Dobbins, standing on 
the quarter-deck, shouted : 

“Up anchor!” 

The men ran to their stations with great 
eagerness. 

‘ ‘ Man the bars ! Heave round ! ’ ’ 

In a short time the big cable was at a short 
stay, and was stoppered. 

“Lay aloft, sail- loosers!” cried Dobbins; 
and Johnnie’s breath came in great pants 
with excitement as he saw the men swarm 
up the rigging. 

“Lay out, and loose! Man the topsail- 
sheets and halyards! Stand by, and let fall! 
Sheet home! Lay in! Lay down from 
aloft!” 

Dobbins poured out his orders in a perfect 
torrent, and the men flew about like bees. 
41 


STRANGE STORIES OF 1812 

Blocks rattled, canvas flapped, yards groan- 
ed, cordage creaked, hoarse voices rumbled 
among the rigging, and the ship was filled 
with all the confused noises of an old-time 
sailing-craft getting under way. When John- 
nie’s fascinated eyes descended for a moment 
from the yard-arms, he saw even sterner prep- 
arations being made on deck, where sailors 
were arranging small-arms and bringing up 
ammunition. But now the Lawrence and 
her consorts were clothed right loyally in 
white robes from deck to top-gallant yard. 
Dobbins ordered his men to man the bars 
again, and the heavy tread of the seamen 
mingled with the clank of the capstan as 
they walked the cable in. 

“Up and down, sir!” cried the captain of 
the forecastle. 

“Man the jib and flying- jib halyards!” 
cried Dobbins. 

And a few moments later the Lawrence , 
with the wind on her port bow, was standing 
out into the lake, astern of the Niagara , com- 
manded by Captain Elliot, and the rest in 
her wake in an orderly column. The lookout 
42 


THE BROKEN PADDLE 


aloft reported that the British fleet was on 
the weather bow about ten miles away, and 
coming down rapidly, with a fair wind. 

“They’ve sighted us,” said Perry, smiling; 
“and now it’s going to be decided who is to 
be master of this lake. Clear ship for action. ’ ’ 

There was little to be done, and by the 
time the two fleets were within six miles of 
each other, the Commodore nodded to First 
Lieutenant Yamall, who gave an order to 
Midshipman Smithers. A moment later the 
quick beat of the drum sounded the call to 
quarters, and the men sprang to the guns. 

“Silence! Cast loose, and provide!” 

For a few seconds there was confusion, as 
the tackles were cast loose, the tompions 
taken off, lock-strings uncoiled, swabs, buck- 
ets, and loading implements put in place. 
Then the men stood silent and erect, waiting 
further orders. 

‘ ‘ Man the starboard battery ! Run in ! ” 

The tackles creaked as the heavy guns 
rolled back on their trucks, and the muzzles 
glided inward through the ports. 

“Serve vent, and sponge!” 

43 


STRANGE STORIES OF 1812 

The gun captains ran their wires down the 
vents, and the proper men pushed the sponges 
into the muzzles. 

“Load!” 

Swiftly and silently the powder-men and 
shell-men passed along their charges, and 
these were sent home into the chambers of 
the guns. 

“Run out!” ' 

Once more the frowning muzzles protruded 
from the ports. Then the orders were given 
to prime and to stand by for further orders. 
A few moments later Commodore Perry, see- 
ing that Barclay’s flag-ship, the Detroit , was 
in the van of the British squadron, signalled 
Captain Elliot, of the Niagara , to drop back 
into second place in the American line, while 
he himself went slowly to the head of his 
column with the Lawrence. Johnnie, who 
had been watching the active movements of 
the seamen preparing for deadly conflict, now 
had a clear view of the British fleet. At that 
moment the wind died completely away, and 
the Lawrence's sails hung limp against the 
masts. 


44 


THE BROKEN PADDLE 


“ Ah!” exclaimed Johnnie to a midshipman 
who stood near, “ the wind is coming in from 
the southeast.” 

“You speak truly,” returned the lad. 

And now the American fleet was to wind- 
ward, and the English vessels were hove to 
with their heads to the southward and west- 
ward. 

“Tell me their names,” said Johnnie. 

“The one in front,” said the midshipman, 
“ is the Detroit , a new brig. She carries nine- 
teen guns, and her commander is Commodore 
Barclay. They say he fought with Nelson 
at Trafalgar. The next one is the Chippewa; 
she carries one gun, a long eighteen on a pivot. 
Then comes the Hunter , with ten guns, and 
next the Queen Charlotte , with seventeen. 
The Niagara is to fight her. After her comes 
the Lady Prevost, with thirteen guns, and last 
the Little Belt , with three. That makes sixty- 
three guns in all.” 

“ Why, that’s more than we have, isn’t it ?” 

“Yes; we have only fifty-four.” 

“That looks bad.” 

“ It’s not so bad as it looks,” said the mid- 
5 45 


STRANGE STORIES OF 1812 

shipman, lightly. “They have more long- 
range guns than we have; but our metal is 
heavier, and when we get to close quarters, 
my! there will be an ugly time.” 

“ I never expected to be in a naval battle.” 

“Well, you’re going to be in a hot one 
now,” said the midshipman, wondering if the 
scout was afraid. 

But Johnnie leaned calmly on his long 
rifle, and said, quietly, “I’m glad I’m here.” 

“ Hush !” exclaimed his companion. “ Here 
comes the Commodore. I wonder what’s 
up.” 

The young commanding officer had left the 
quarter-deck, and was moving forward with 
a roll of blue bunting in his arms. He at- 
tached it to the signal halyards of the fore- 
mast, and made it up into a little round ball. 
Then he hoisted it away to the fore-truck. 

“ It’s a signal of some sort,” said the middy. 
“But I can’t see why he hoists it him- 
self.” 

Perry gave the halyards a twist, and a 
broad blue flag spread to the breeze. For a 
moment there was silence, while the eyes of 
46 


THE BROKEN PADDLE 


the fleet read in bright white letters on the 
blue the immortal command of Captain Law- 
rence : 


“don’t give up the ship!” 

A great tumult of cheers broke out from 
the American vessels and floated across the 
waters. Then all was silence till the Law- 
rence had slipped down to within a mile and 
a half of the Detroit, when a bugle-call pealed 
across the surface of the lake, a cloud of white 
smoke burst from the port bow of the English 
flag-ship, a heavy report rang out, and a- 
2 4 -pound shot plunged into the water two 
hundred yards ahead of the Lawrence. 

“He fires at long range,” said Perry, now 
on the quarter-deck; “ but we shall speak at 
close quarters.” 

The Lawrence continued to glide on ma- 
jestically, and a few minutes later a cloud 
broke again from the Detroit's side, and there 
followed a crash as the 24-pound ball tore 
its way through the bulwarks of the Law- 
rence * The battle had begun. 

47 


STRANGE STORIES OF 1812 


V 

The wind was disastrously light, and the 
Detroit poured shot after shot into the Law- 
rence , at long range, with dreadful effect. 
Men began to fall, and the groans of the 
wounded assailed the ear. 

“ Forecastle !” called Perry, taking his spy- 
glass from his eye. 

“Ay, ay, sir!” 

“Try him with the long-twelve.” 

The crew of the Lawrence's Long-Tom 
sprang to their piece. The gunner ran his 
eye along the cylinder, and stepped back 
with the lanyard in his hand. A quick jerk 
and the gun hurled out its iron message. 
The shot hulled the Detroit , and Perry cried, 
exultantly : 

“ Now signal the Scorpion and the Ariel to 
let them have it!” 

The bugle-notes rang out, and a moment 
later the roar of the schooners' guns was 
heard, and a deeper report announced that 
the Caledonia had opened fire with her two 
48 


THE BROKEN PADDLE 


long 24-pounders. The Niagara , too, poured 
in iron hail from her two 12 -pounders. 

“ How can the Commodore tell what he is 
doing?” shouted Johnnie to the midshipman; 
“the smoke is so thick.” 

“ He can smell the enemy!” exclaimed the 
midshipman. 

Crash! Another heavy ball tore through 
the bulwarks, and the poor little midshipman 
fell back with the lock-string of his gun in 
his hand. Johnnie sprang forward and bent 
over him. He was dead. The young scout 
rose, and, taking the lock-string in his own 
hand, stood in the midshipman’s place, and 
looked inquiringly at the Commodore. 

“ Ay, my lad,” said Perry, nodding gravely, 
“ we shall need every arm before the sun sets 
to-day. Barclay’s whole fire is at us, and 
we are yet too far away. Mr. Dobbins!” 

“Ay, ay, sir!” responded the sailing-mas- 
ter. 

“We must go ahead and come closer.” 

Dobbins sprang into the waist and shouted 
out some orders. The men jumped to the 
sheets, halyards, and braces, and in a few 

49 


STRANGE STORIES OF J8J2 

moments the Lawrence's lofty upper canvas 
spread to the light air, and she drew ahead 
of the fleet. At the same time the Queen 
Charlotte hastened to the aid of the Detroit , 
and Perry found himself confronted by twice 
his own force. 

“Steady! steady!” he said to the helms- 
man. 

“Steady it is, sir,” came the answer. 

And the Lawrence forged ahead, her decks 
swept by a storm of iron, men falling dead 
and wounded, rigging cut away, blocks and 
tackle dropping to the deck, and her batteries 
silent, except the Long-Tom. But now she 
came within five hundred yards of the enemy, 
and the dauntless Perry’s eyes flashed as his 
voice rang out like a trumpet : 

“Starboard your helm! Man the star- 
board battery! Steady as you are! Broad- 
side, fire!” 

The Lawrence staggered as the terrific thun- 
der of her starboard guns was heard, and 
American iron went shrieking across the deck 
of the Detroit. But the carnage on the 
Lawrence was dreadful. Johnnie sometimes 
5° 


THE BROKEN PADDLE 


closed his eyes to shut out the horrors that 
confronted him, but he sternly set his teeth, 
and primed and fired his gun as fast as it 
could be loaded. It looked as if the Lawrence 
was a doomed brig, and every man made up 
his mind to sell his life dearly. 

“Sir,” said Yarnall, the first-lieutenant, 
running to Perry, “all the officers in my 
division are down.” 

“I have no more officers to furnish you,” 
said Perry; “you must make out by your- 
self.” 

And brave Yarnall went back to his bat- 
tery with three wounds, and never left the 
deck. Perry stepped to the cabin skylight 
and called down to Parsons, the surgeon’s 
mate (the surgeon was wounded) : 

“ Doctor, send me one of your men!” 

That call was repeated till all of the six 
detailed to help the wounded were called; 
and then two or three feeble men, with blood 
streaming from their wounds, stumbled on 
deck and manned the side-tackles of a gun. 
Then up crawled Wilson Mays, who was sick 
and could not stand. 

5 1 


STRANGE STORIES OF 1812 

“ What can you do ?” said Perry. 

“I can sound the pump and let a strong 
man go to the guns.” 

And he went and sat down by the pump, 
where he was found after the battle with a 
shot through his heart. 

Where was the Niagara? Vainly the de- 
creasing band of men on the flag-ship looked 
for her aid. Oh, Elliott, did you perhaps 
feel some jealousy of the gallant Perry that 
you showed a French regard for the “ sacred 
order of the line of battle”? Why did you 
keep your place half a cable ’s-length behind 
the Caledonia while desolation strode from 
stem to stern of the Lawrence? Fainter and 
fainter became her fire; death and destruc- 
tion reigned supreme on her decks ; gun after 
gun was silenced; Johnnie Davis was the 
only living man at starboard gun No. 8. 

“Lower away the cutter!” cried Perry, 
stepping over to Johnnie’s side. 

Four or five sailors sprang to obey the 
order, while the Commodore took the lock- 
string from the young scout’s hand. 

“Bravely and well have you done this 
52 



THE COMMODORE PULLED THE LANYARD 




























THE BROKEN PADDLE 


day,” he said. “ I am now about to fire the 
last shot from this brig. I leave you here 
to help keep her out of the enemy’s hands, 
while I go to turn the tide of this battle, 
with the help of God. Remember the words 
of Lawrence, ‘Don’t give up the ship!’” 

The Commodore pulled the lanyard, and 
sprang to the bulwarks to see the result of 
the shot. 

“Ay, there are more dead for the King,” 
he said, bitterly. 

“ Boat’s alongside, sir,” came the cry from 
the quarter. 

Perry jumped to the deck, wrung Johnnie’s 
hand, and rushed away to his boat. The 
next minute the young scout saw him stand- 
ing recklessly in the stern-sheets, while four 
seamen lashed their oars through the water 
like giants. A minute later the cutter disap- 
peared through the smoke in the direction of 
the Niagara , which, now that Elliott thought 
Perry dead, was coming up with a freshening 
breeze. A rift in the smoke disclosed to 
Johnnie’s keen eyes the cutter under the 
Niagara's side, and an alert figure ascending. 

53 


STRANGE STORIES OF J8J2 

The next instant Perry stood on the Niagara's 
deck, saying: 

“I have been sacrificed !” 

Elliott, burning with shame, sprang into 
the boat and went to order the gun-boats in 
the rear to come to the front, while Perry, 
with a new brig, a fresh and uninjured crew, 
and a good armament, dashed forward to re- 
new the conflict. He ordered the signal for 
close action to be run up, and it was answered 
by loud cheers from all the other vessels. 
With a new light in his undaunted eye, Perry 
seized the speaking-trumpet and shouted or- 
ders with lightning rapidity. 

“Man the clew -garnets and buntlines! 
Spanker brails! Up main-sail and spanker! 
Up with your helm l Brace in the after- 
yards ! Raise fore-tack and sheet ! Lay the 
head-yards square! Haul aboard!” 

These and a dozen other directions were 
obeyed with cheerful alacrity, and the Ni- 
agara wore short round, altering her course 
eight points, so that her jib-boom pointed 
directly at the centre of Barclay’s line. 

“ Now get some cloth on her!” cried Perry. 

54 


THE BROKEN PADDLE 


“We’ll teach them that we are alive yet! 
Lay aloft and loose the foretop-gallant sail ! 
Man sheets and halyards ! Let fall ! Lay in ! 
Lay down! Sheet home and hoist away!” 

And the Niagara , under additional press of 
canvas, hurled the spray from under her bows 
in big white fountains as she bore down upon 
the Detroit. Barclay, seeing her coming, en- 
deavored to wear ship so as to bring his star- 
board broadside to bear, but he fouled the 
Queen Charlotte , and for a few minutes the 
two vessels lay with yards interlocked and 
rigging tangled. At this juncture Perry 
clewed up his top-gallants, and glided into 
the centre of Barclay’s line, with the Chippe- 
wa and Lady Prevost on his left, the Detroit 
and Queen Charlotte on his right. Then he 
gave the order to fire, and at half pistol-range 
he poured his port broadside into the Lady 
Prevost , and his starboard into the entangled 
Queen Charlotte and Detroit. Piercing shrieks 
arose from their decks, for the havoc caused 
by the Niagara's guns was awful. The 
smaller vessels of the American fleet came up 
and opened upon the British with deadly 
55 


STRANGE STORIES OF 1812 

effect. The flag-ship Detroit now became a 
helpless wreck, like the Lawrence. Her miz- 
zentop-mast was down, her spanker -gaff 
broken, her other spars badly maimed, every 
brace and bowline shot away, and her hull 
shattered. Victory was at hand. 

But where was the ill-fated Lawrence , and 
where was Johnnie Davis ? Aboard the brig 
fourteen persons were alive and sound. Lieu- 
tenant Yarnall, whose wounds were slight, 
called the second-lieutenant, Mr. Forest. 

“Shall we strike our colors? We are a 
wreck and helpless.” 

“Let us wait a minute,” said Forest, ear- 
nestly. “The Commodore is aboard the 
Niagara , and see, he is making sail. There 
goes the f ore top-gallant ! Now see her fly!” 

“Yes, yes!” exclaimed Yarnall, “he is 
rushing right into the lion’s jaws with her, as 
he did with this brig.” Then turning to the 
survivors, to the wounded, he said, “Men, 
what shall we do?” 

Johnnie Davis sprang upon a gun-carriage, 
and pointed aloft at Lawrence's flag with its 
immortal motto, “Don’t give up the ship!” 

56 


THE BROKEN PADDLE 

The wounded men lying on the deck broke 
into feeble shouts: “Rather sink the ship 
than surrender! Let us all go down to- 
gether!’' 

At that moment a shout of triumph broke 
from the nearest English vessel. What could 
it mean ? Had some new horror fallen upon 
them? 

Look there ! Look there ! ’ ’ cried a wound- 
ed sailor, struggling to his feet only to fall 
senseless. 

They turned and looked towards the main- 
truck, to which he had pointed, and saw the 
Lawrence's flag slowly descending. It was 
twenty feet below the royal mast-head. 

“Who is lowering that flag?” cried Lieu- 
tenant Yarnall, rushing towards the quarter- 
deck. 

But swift as he was, there was one who 
moved more swiftly, bounding over the slip- 
pery deck like a maddened panther. It was 
Johnnie Davis, whose quick eye had detected a 
familiar form skulking behind the main-mast 
and handling the ensign-halyards. It was no 
other than the recreant Indian, Hunting- 
57 


STRANGE STORIES OF 1812 

Dog, whose very existence had been forgot- 
ten, in the heat of the battle. But neglected 
and unwatched, the wily savage had con- 
trived to free himself, and his first act was 
one of treachery. His triumph was very 
short. Seeing that he was detected, he 
plunged down the companionway into the 
cabin, pursued by Lieutenant Yarnall and 
Lieutenant Forest. Johnnie left the Indian 
to them, while he sprang to the ensign-hal- 
yards, and hauled the Lawrence's flag up to 
its place, and the survivors of the crew, both 
safe and wounded, united in a cheer of 
defiance. 

Then the boy wheeled and rushed down to 
the cabin. In the half-light he saw the Ind- 
ian in the act of swinging a heavy chair down 
upon Mr. Forest, who threw up his arms to 
ward off the blow. Nevertheless, he was 
stretched senseless on the floor, and Hunting- 
Dog, with a gleam of savage joy shooting 
across his features, turned to demolish Mr. 
Yarnall. 

But the boy had entered a little to one 
side and partly behind the Huron, who did 
58 


THE BROKEN PADDLE 


not see him. The intrepid youth, now that 
the battle was at an end, had no other thought 
than the safety of his father. He sprang upon 
the cabin table, and as Hunting-Dog lifted 
the chair on high, Johnnie caught his arms 
and pulled them backward, bringing the 
Indian down on the flat of his back on the 
table. Mr. Yarnall rushed forward with his 
sword in his hand. 

“Don’t kill him!” cried Johnnie. “He 
must be taken alive to Fort Stephenson to 
save my father’s life.” 


vi 

Henry Davis, otherwise called Feather- 
Foot, the scout, was sleeping on his rude bed 
in the guard-house at Fort Stephenson. In 
the east the first faint streaks of the yellow 
dawn marked on the low gray clouds the 
advent of the day on which he was doomed 
to die unless his brave boy should arrive with 
proof of his innocence. Yet the bold and 
hardy frontiers-man slept peacefully. Inured 
59 


STRANGE STORIES OF 1812 

to every hardship and accustomed to brave 
all manner of dangers, men like Henry Davis 
had little fear of death. To this man only 
the disgrace was appalling, not the impend- 
ing doom. As the light grew stronger in the 
east, Davis awoke and sat up on the edge of 
his couch. 

“Daylight,” he muttered to himself; “the 
last day for me! Well, well, that must have 
come sooner or later; and I can go with a 
clear conscience, as far as the charge of being 
a spy is concerned. I wish I could have left 
my boy a clean name. There has never been 
a time when any man could say anything to 
him about his father that he need have been 
ashamed of, and it’s hard that it’s got to be 
possible after I’m gone. But he will find 
proof that I am honest, and he’ll make them 
all sorry for my unjust death. But will he ? 
How do I know whether he’s alive or not? 
He may be dead ; the Indian may have out- 
witted him. Perhaps that would be better, 
after all. If he has gone before me, he can’t 
live to be shamed by the evil that has fallen 
on my name. Anyway, I’ve got till four 
60 


THE BROKEN PADDLE 


o'clock this afternoon to live, and maybe 
he’ll come in before that time.” 

The woodsman’s philosophy was of a sim- 
ple and homely sort, yet it gave him as much 
comfort in his affliction as the finest logic of 
a sage would have done. The scout was a 
Christian man at heart, and though he said 
little, even to himself, about it, he had a very 
firm faith in the justice of the Creator. Much 
comfort had come to him during his confine- 
ment by reason of the revulsion of feeling in 
the fort. At first many of the members of 
the garrison had been quite ready to accept 
Beers’s views as to the guilt of Davis, and 
had shunned their old companion in his con- 
finement. But Beers could not conceal his 
satisfaction at the aspect of affairs. 

“This,” he said, “is the famous Feather- 
Foot, a scout known to every Indian along 
the southern border of the Great Lakes. I 
always thought his acquaintance with the 
redskins was a little too large to be good, 
and now we see what comes of it. It turns 
out that our friend is rather too much their 
friend. Major Croghan would have done 

6 61 


STRANGE STORIES OF 1812 

well to consult me before trusting to this 
man.” 

Beers did a great deal of this sort of talk- 
ing, and in twenty-four hours after Johnnie’s 
departure every one saw that he was very 
jealous of the two Davises, and that his feel- 
ings against them were very bitter. As for 
Major Croghan, his heart had rebelled from 
the first against the conviction of Davis. 
He had acted throughout from a stern 
sense of duty, and he would gladly have 
received evidence of Davis’s innocence; 
but he did not believe this to be pos- 
sible. 

At three o’clock in the afternoon prepara- 
tions were begun for the execution of the 
scout. Ten feet in front of the north wall of 
the fort, on the inner side, of course, a space 
a dozen yards in width was cleared of all 
obstructions. The simple pine coffin was 
brought out, and placed a few feet forward 
of the wall, just behind the clear space. 
There was no necessity to drive down posts 
and put up ropes to keep the crowd off, for 
the young and old of the garrison were too 
62 


THE BROKEN PADDLE 


much impressed to desire to stand close to 
the scene of execution. 

The file of men who were to fire the fatal 
volley was selected by lot, and so was the 
sergeant who was to give the words of com- 
mand. Some of those who did not believe 
Davis guilty, and who did believe that Beers 
was malicious, had expressed a hope that he 
would be burdened with the unhappy duty 
of commanding; but the chance fell other- 
wise, and an old sergeant who was hardened 
to all the vicissitudes of war was named for 
the post. 

At half-past three the chaplain, who had 
spent most of the morning with Davis, re- 
turned to the guard-house and passed a final 
ten minutes in prayer with him. Davis was 
then convinced that his end was at hand, 
and was prepared to meet his fate bravely 
and with resignation. 

“God will enable my boy to clear my 
name,” he said, “when I am gone, and that 
is all I ask for in this world.” 

And now the slow and measured tramp of 
feet was heard outside the guard-house as the 

63 


STRANGE STORIES OF 1812 


file of men approached to lead Davis forth. 
The scout rose and grasped the chaplain’s 
hand. 

“You and I,” he said, “will meet again.” 

Then he turned and gravely saluted the 
sergeant, who had entered the room. His 
hands were about to be bound behind his 
back, when he said : 

“ Sergeant, don’t you think you could leave 
my hands free? I won’t put my arms in 
front of me when you give the word.” 

“I can’t change the orders,” answered the 
sergeant ; “ but when we get there, I ’ll ask the 
commanding officer for you.” 

“Thank you,” said Davis, quietly submit- 
ting to be bound. 

He walked firmly out to the file of men, 
and then asked the sergeant’s permission to 
speak to them. The sergeant nodded. 

“Boys,” said Davis, “I know this is a 
mighty hard job for you ; but I want you all 
to understand that it can’t be helped, and 
after it’s over, remember that you obeyed 
orders, which is what a soldier’s always got 
to do.” 


64 


THE BROKEN PADDLE 


Then he took his place, the sergeant gave 
the word, and the little procession moved 
solemnly out towards the cleared space. The 
sun shone warm and bright, the birds sang 
sweetly in the forest, and a gentle westerly 
wind softly waved the flag that flew from the 
tall pole in the centre of the fort. Over near 
the south wall the garrison were assembled, 
as far away from the spot set apart for the 
execution as they could be without leaving 
the fort. The men did not wish to see 
Davis’s end, yet they could not quit the 
enclosure. The scout was led to the space 
in front of the north wall, where he stood 
with his back towards the distant shores of 
Lake Erie. Then the sergeant walked across 
the turf to the little knot of officers, and pre- 
sented Davis’s request to the Major. 

“Yes,” said Croghan. “He is a brave 
man. Let him have his arms free.” 

The sergeant returned to the prisoner and 
took the cords off his hands. 

“I thank you, Major Croghan,” Davis 
called out ; “it is some comfort to a man to 
fall with his hands free.” 

65 


STRANGE STORIES OF 1812 


The file of men was now drawn up in front 
of the accused man, who stood in a fine mili- 
tary position calmly watching the movements 
of the soldiers. The sergeant was about to 
give the word to make ready, when Croghan 
stepped forward and exclaimed, in a husky 
voice : 

“Wait! It lacks a minute of four o’clock.” 

“Order arms! Parade rest!” said the ser- 
geant, and the men’s guns rattled as they 
executed the movements. 

“You’re mighty good, Major,” said Davis, 
speaking calmly and without a tremor in his 
voice; “but I don’t see as a minute more or 
less is going to make any difference now.” 

“You shall have every second that belongs 
to you,” said the Major, standing with his 
watch in his hand. 

That was a long and wretched minute, but, 
like the others, it passed ; and Major Croghan, 
with a long sigh, closed his watch, nodded to 
the sergeant, and turned away. 

“Attention! Carry arms!” said the ser- 
geant. 

The rattle of the rifles was the only thing 
66 


THE BROKEN PADDLE 


to be heard; but before the sergeant could 
speak again, there came a new sound. From 
far down the river there came the long 
quavering cry of a loon. Davis started as if 
he had been struck. Then lifting his head, 
he uttered an answering cry with a powerful 
voice. Again the loon’s call came rolling up 
the river. Then Davis broke into a fit of 
silent laughter. Every one in the fort stood 
transfixed with astonishment and anxiety. 
Then a great cry came from the sentinel on 
the river parapet of the fort. 

“Wait! wait!” he shouted, pointing down 
the river. “A canoe! a canoe! Yes, two 
canoes! They’re paddling fast!” 

“Guard the prisoner!” exclaimed Beers. 

“Wait!” cried the Major, leaping up the 
parapet himself. “As I live,” he cried, “it’s 
the boy! And he has the Indian!” The 
president of the court-martial looked at the 
other members, and they all nodded. “The 
prisoner is reprieved for two hours,” he said. 

The next minute the two canoes, manned 
by hardy lake sailors clad in man-o’-war togs, 
swept up to the landing. In the foremost 
67 


STRANGE STORIES OF 1812 

canoe were Johnnie Davis and Hunting- Dog, 
the latter securely bound. In the second 
canoe were Lieutenant Forest, of the Law- 
rence , and Lieutenant Brackett, of the Ariel. 
In another minute they were all in the fort. 
Johnnie’s swift glance told him the exact 
situation. 

“Thanks to the good Father!” he exclaim 
ed. “ We are just in time.” 

Lieutenant Brackett, being the first in 
rank of the naval officers, stepped forward 
and saluted Major Croghan. 

“Sir,” he said, “I have the honor to pre- 
sent to you this letter from Captain Oliver 
Hazard Perry, commanding the naval forces 
of the United States on Lake Erie. By it 
you will perceive that Lieutenant Forest, of 
the flag-ship Lawrence , and myself, com- 
manding officer of the schooner Ariel , to- 
gether with certain seamen, are detailed to 
furnish you with evidence that the Indian 
Hunting- Dog is a British spy. And Captain 
Perry wishes me to add that the obligations 
of truth and justice in this matter are second- 
ed by the demand for recognition on his part 
68 


THE BROKEN PADDLE 


of the brave and gallant services of John 
Davis aboard the Lawrence during the recent 
engagement on Lake Erie, when by the grace 
of God the British fleet was destroyed.” 

At these words the little garrison broke 
into a great cheer, while Johnnie Davis 
rushed to his father and embraced him. 

“Father,” he said, “have no fear. The 
evidence is beyond doubt. You are saved.” 

Then the file of men who had been ordered 
out to execute Davis threw up their caps and 
cheered anew. Franklin Beers was the only 
man in the fort who did not cheer, and he 
looked heartily ashamed of himself. 

“ Bring the prisoners, Davis and the Ind- 
ian, at once to my quarters,” said Major 
Croghan. “The court-martial will reassem- 
ble at once and hear the new evidence. 
Gentlemen,” he continued, addressing the 
naval officers, “we shall ask you to testify 
first, and afterwards be refreshed after your 
journey.” 

“It was a very speedy journey, Major,” 
said Lieutenant Brackett, smiling, “and 
we — ” 


69 


STRANGE STORIES OF 1812 

He was interrupted by a sudden outcry: 
“The Indian! the Indian!” 

Turning hastily, they saw a dark form 
bounding over the wood wall of the fort. 

“Stop him!” shouted Major Croghan. 
“Stop him alive or dead!” 

Every one rushed towards the embrasures 
on the forest side of the enclosure. But 
quickly as they all moved, there was one 
who moved more quickly. Franklin Beers, 
burning with shame and repentance for his 
actions during the entire affair, saw an op- 
portunity to set himself right with his com- 
rades. Like a deer he sped across the turf 
and into one of the embrasures. The steel 
barrel of his rifle flashed in the sunlight as he 
sternly swung the butt to his shoulder. For 
a moment he stood firm and motionless as a 
rock, while the peal of the discharge rang 
through the arches of the trees. 

Hunting-Dog was just on the point of 
entering the thicket, where he would have 
been lost to sight, when the leaden messenger 
overtook him. He staggered, threw out his 
arms, on which still dangled some of his 
70 


THE BROKEN PADDLE 


broken bonds, and fell forward on his face 
in the bushes. 

“That ends his mischief,” said Beers. 
Then he sprang down from the embrasure, 
and going up to the two Davises, said: “I 
haven’t done right by you, and I’m sorry for 
it. You’re both honest men and good ones.” 

He offered his hand, and they took it in 
turn. The two naval officers, the seamen, 
and Johnnie related all the incidents that 
had taken place in the latter’s pursuit of 
Hunting-Dog, and the court-martial very 
speedily decided that the evidence fully 
proved that Henry Davis had been un justly 
convicted, and that the Indian was the real 
spy. 

Early the next morning the naval detach- 
ment departed, going down the river in their 
canoes to rejoin the schooner Ariel , which 
was waiting for them at the river’s mouth. 
On the same day Beers resigned his position 
as chief of scouts, shouldered his rifle, and 
left the fort, for he felt that he was no longer 
able to stay there. 

“Henry Davis,” said Major Croghan, 
7i 


STRANGE STORIES OF 1812 


“your narrow escape demands that you 
should be rewarded. I make you my chief 
of scouts.” 

And then Johnnie Davis’s happiness was 
complete. 


II 


HAROLD WHITE’S PERIL 

A T ale of the Massacre at Fort Dearborn ( Chicago ) 
in 1812 

S TELL you, Captain Heald,* this 
is an awful responsibility you’re 
shouldering. Not one, but two hun- 
dred lives hang on it. General Hull 
could never have meant his orders to be abso- 
lute. At such times something must be left to 
the commanding officer. He must know bet- 
ter than a superior two hundred miles away.” 

* Captain Heald, commanding Fort Dearborn, had 
received despatches by an Indian runner from General 
Hull, commanding the Americans at Detroit in the 
War of 1812, directing him to destroy his surplus am- 
munition, divide his stores among the Indians as a 
peace-offering, evacuate the post, and, trusting his 
safety to a savage escort, fall back within the American 
lines. On the day after the council where he had, in 
opposition to the remonstrances of his junior officers, 

73 


STRANGE STORIES OF 1812 


The swarthy brows of Kinzie, the Indian 
trader, who knew redskin nature better than 
any other man at Fort Dearborn, showed a 
scowl of anger and contempt. It was the 
hour for a quick-witted and resolute soldier, 
not for a timid martinet, the slave of the 
letter and not of the spirit of his orders. The 
commander of that little garrison of fifty, 
many of whom were non-effectives, was “a 
round peg in a square hole” — and a hole, too, 
that yawned big and deep for human life. 

“You’re not a military man,” was the 
peevish answer. “My business is to obey 
orders and not reason on them. The General 
has determined to withdraw all garrisons from 
outlying posts, and I must do my duty at any 
risk.” 

announced his purpose of prompt obedience, Black 
Partridge, a Pottawattomie chief who had always been 
a friend of the Americans, stalked into his quarters, 
and threw the medal he had received from Congress on 
the table with these words: “Father, I come to give 
you back the medal I wear. It was given me by the 
Americans in token of our friendship. But our young 
men are resolved to bathe their hands in the blood of 
the whites. I cannot hold them back, and I will not 
wear a token of peace while I am compelled to act as 
an enemy.” 


74 


HAROLD WHITE’S PERIL 

“ At risk to yourself, yes ! but not to help- 
less women and children and a lot of sick 
soldiers not able to pull a trigger or stagger 
five miles in a broiling sun,” John Kinzie 
retorted, quickly. And pointing through the 
gate of the palisade, he continued: “Look at 
those savages on the beach watching like 
vultures. A thousand lie within call of a 
war-whoop. How many scalps would re- 
main at the end of an hour if you put your- 
self in their hands? D’ye think Black Par- 
tridge would have said those words last night 
if there had been a ray of hope ? You have 
ample stores and ammunition, and can hold 
out for a month or more behind these timber 
walls. Anything else is madness. As for 
me,” said the trader, with an air of noble 
pride, “the danger is less. So I don’t speak 
for myself or mine. I have dealt with every 
tribe for two hundred miles about. I have 
never tricked a savage in trade. They have 
eaten of my dish and drunk of my cup, and 
found shelter under my roof. My wife has 
been a guardian angel to their sick and 
needy. But be sure of one thing: friendship 
75 


STRANGE STORIES OF 1812 


for the Kinzies will never save the life of any 
other pale-face at the hands of a redskin.” 

“Mr. Kinzie must decide for himself 
whether he will accompany the troops or 
not if he is so sure of his Indian friends,” 
said the Captain, stung by the words of the 
other. “We march at nine to-morrow morn- 
ing,” and he turned on his heel into the 
parade-ground. As he passed through the 
groups of settlers who had sought shelter in 
the fort, and noticed the look of foreboding 
stamped on every face, he was almost in- 
clined to change his purpose, though the 
soldiers were even then dismantling the 
arsenal and knocking in the heads of the 
spirit-barrels. 

John Kinzie walked rapidly to the head of 
a sand-knoll which gave him a wide view of 
the scene. Groups of dark figures were 
scattered over the shining beach as if they 
were statues of copper, or they waded in the 
ripples of the beautiful blue lake, throwing 
water at one another with loud laughter. 
One could scarcely have fancied that close 
to the edge of this sportive mood the spirit 
76 


HAROLD WHITE’S PERIL 


of murder hid in ambush with cocked rifle 
and sharp hatchet. A mile away lay the 
Indian camp, which had grown five times 
bigger within as many days, like an assem- 
blage of huge ant-hills, with the ants thickly 
swarming about. But it must be time for 
Harold White to return, and he passed to 
the rear of the palisades, where the men, 
rolling the casks through the underground 
sally-port, were emptying the powder and 
whiskey into the river. Just across the 
stream opposite the fort, set in the midst of 
green trees and fields, were his home and 
warehouses. He had sent his young clerk, 
a lad of fifteen, with a message to Mrs. Kin- 
zie, for he had preferred to have his family 
stay in their own house till the last mo- 
ment. 

“Did ye ever hear tell of such a ‘fool’ 
business as this, Bill?” he heard one soldier 
say to another, shaking his fist in the direc- 
tion of the fort. “ I guess mighty few of us 
will hev as much hair on our heads this time 
to-morrer.” 

“I don’t keer for myself,” said the other, 
77 


7 


STRANGE STORIES OF 1812 


gloomily ; “a soldier’s got to buck agin’ the 
wuss thing as comes without say in’ a word. 
But I’m a-thinkin’ of the old ’oman and the 
little gals.” 

Mr. Kinzie saw the canoe shoot from under 
a clump of bushes and skim swiftly across 
the narrow river, to-day a black and unat- 
tractive body of muddy water, but at that 
time a pellucid stream where fish leaped to 
the angler’s bait. 

“To-pee-nee-be’s messenger has come,” 
said Harold, “ and brings word that the two 
big canoes will cross to-night from St. Joseph 
to take off the family at sunrise.” 

“Thank God!” cried the trader, fervently, 
for sure as he felt for himself of the compara- 
tively friendly feeling of the savage horde 
gathered there, he knew Indian nature too 
well to trust it when mad with the thirst for 
bloodshed. The chief of the St. Joseph band 
had a few days before warned him of treach- 
ery, and offered to convey his wife and chil- 
dren across the lake to his own village. 
“Harold, you must stay with Mrs. Kinzie 
in the canoes,” said he. “ I shall march with 
78 


HAROLD WHITE’S PERIL 

the troops, and do what I can. Perhaps I 
may have some influence till it comes to the 
worst. I depend on you. I know what your 
wish is, but you must forego it now. You’ve 
had your taste of Indians already. Remem- 
ber, you only escaped by the skin of your 
teeth last spring.” 

“Yes,” was Harold’s reply; “and I shall 
never be happy till I ’ ve — ’ ’ He bit the words 
off short, but the boy’s smooth face was a 
man’s in its stamp of passion and resolve, for 
the frontier lads often got old in will and 
courage before their chins grew beards. Some 
of the legends of boys’ doings in the annals 
of Indian warfare are as stirring as the stories 
of Homer’s heroes. Harold had had right- 
eous cause for his feelings. Four months be- 
fore, on a bright spring day, a score of Potta- 
wattomies had entered the house of his 
uncle, about two miles up the river from the 
fort, and asked for food. Their tongues were 
friendly but their eyes sullen. 

“ Harold,” said his uncle Lee, “go over the 
river with Beaubien and feed the horses,” 
but his look said, “ Paddle as fast as you can 
79 


STRANGE STORIES OF 1812 


to the fort for help.” The Frenchman and 
he had scarcely gotten well into the stream 
before there came the spit of bullets, and 
then came a continuous crackle, with the 
shrieking of women and children, and then 
silence. Harold, left friendless, found a pro- 
tector in Mr. Kinzie; but his heart flamed 
always hot with that memory. The Kinzie 
family would be safe without him, and he 
was swept by his rash fancies as if his will 
were a soap-bubble. 

The sun hung in the sky, on the fatal 
August morning, a burnished copper ball. 
Scarcely a breath heaved the dark surface of 
the lake, and no laughter of light danced in 
the sparkle of a crest. A pallor lay on the 
sandy levels and ridges of the beach similar 
to the upturned face of some one dead. Nat- 
ure had set the stage for the tragedy of man. 
The little column left the fort at nine o’clock, 
a small company of friendly Indians in the 
van, then the caravan of transport- wagons, 
loaded with rations and with women, chil- 
dren, and sick soldiers, then a few armed set- 
tlers, then a meagre uniformed platoon of 
80 


HAROLD WHITE’S PERIL 


less than two-score fighting-men. A double 
column of Pottawattomies formed on either 
side. As they began to move, the soldiers 
presented arms to the flag fluttering down 
from its staff. They might have spoken the 
words of the gladiators when they trooped 
into the arena in olden time, “ Ave, C cesar! 
morituri te salutamus ” (Hail, Cassar ! we, 
the death-doomed, salute you). It is even 
an historical fact that the band played the 
Dead March when that funeral procession 
tramped out on the road of destiny between 
walls of living bronze. 

Harold, armed with a double - barrelled 
rifle, had hidden behind a big sand-knoll near 
the gate. When John Kinzie helped his 
family into their frail barks of safety he had 
marked the absence of the lad, but there was 
no time to think further or search, for there 
was much business afoot. Harold saw his 
guardian now expostulating with Indian 
chiefs, now urging some special course on 
Captain Heald, who marched with his de- 
tachment, now encouraging the trembling 
women in the wagons. And so the column 
81 


STRANGE STORIES OF 1812 

wended its slow course over the burning sand 
away from the fort. 

Suddenly came other sounds than the 
distant drone of trumpet and tuba. Surely 
that was gun-firing. There could be no mis- 
take, indeed, for punctuating the muffled 
roar was heard the long-drawn “ wow-wow- 
wow” of the whooping savages. The hour 
had come. A mile and a half from the fort, 
where now stands a memorial tablet under 
an old cotton-wood tree in the thick of the 
princeliest residences of a great city, the 
cloud had burst. From behind the sand- 
ridge which divided the prairie from the 
beach five hundred warriors had sprung sud- 
denly to their feet, like arrows drawn to the 
head, and poured in a hail-storm of bullets, 
to which the treacherous escort added their 
quota. Harold had stood for some time 
spellbound by his own thoughts and fears, 
but the trance was now broken. He ran 
hot-foot towards the scene of the struggle. 
Each step brought the sights and sounds 
of the massacre clearer. Shrieks, yells, the 
rumble of the firing, dark forms leaping like 
82 


HAROLD WHITE’S PERIL 

madmen with uplifted arms, or bending like 
wild beasts over objects on the sand. It was 
a tumult of horror beyond words. After a 
little the confusion lessened, and there was a 
pause, followed by the howl of triumph, which 
is the Indian’s paean of victory. Harold, 
pumped out by his wild run, had hidden be- 
hind a sand-hill for breath, within a stone ’s- 
throw of the scene, for the savages, absorbed 
in their work of death, had not noticed his 
advancing figure. One wagon, from which 
now came the wail of a sick child, had escaped 
their fierce handiwork, and three warriors 
with bare tomahawks bounded towards it. 
The boy, taking steady aim, discharged both 
barrels of his rifle, and one of the red men 
fell. Every nerve tense with excitement, 
Harold sprang forward with his clubbed gun, 
and, catching a tomahawk cut on the barrel, 
dashed the butt into the head of the nearest 
savage. As the latter fell with closing eyes, 
it was with a thrill of satisfaction, strangely 
blended with awe, as if some higher power 
had struck by his hand, that the boy recog- 
nized the face of the leader of the savages 
83 


STRANGE STORIES OF 1812 


who had slain his uncle and his family. The 
next moment he was half throttled by a 
clutch about his throat. 

“Boy my prisoner; make no noise,” he 
heard, as the iron grip loosened. It was the 
voice of Black Partridge, who, an unwilling 
actor in the tragedy, had by his craft, as 
afterwards turned out, saved several lives 
on this occasion. Mr. Kinzie, Captain Heald, 
and another officer, with their wives and a 
few others, had escaped the slaughter, and 
were captives. As for the rest, their muti- 
lated bodies lay dead on the sands down to 
the very water’s brink, where their road had 
been. 

“Perhaps not able to save Harold, for boy 
kill warriors,” continued the friendly chief. 
“ Better crawl through grass like Indian back 
to fort, and hide in cellar till dark ; then swim 
’cross to Kinzie ’s.” So he led his charge to 
the edge of the rank prairie-grass with, “ See 
Black Partridge bym-by.” 

Bending in his covert, Harold retreated 
stealthily as a coyote to the empty fort. As 
he passed through the gate into the dismal 
84 


HAROLD WHITE’S PERIL 


solitude, with all its suggestions of recent life 
and cheer, his heart quivered afresh with the 
sense of what it all meant. He knew the 
subterranean secrets of the fort well; and 
knew, too, that some of the Indians were 
likely to stray back at any time. Both block- 
houses of the post had deep stoned cellars, 
from which were exits into the underground 
sally-port opening on the river -bank. He 
could easily hide himself here among the 
rubbish and lumber, and perhaps find some- 
thing to eat. He did indeed discover some 
scraps of bread and bacon, and, better yet, 
a retreat to elude the keenest eye down in 
that dusky cavern. As the day waxed the 
heat grew stifling, but there was a well in 
the cellar which relieved his thirst. In 
fumbling about the place for the pump- 
handle, he found several barrels apparently 
undisturbed. He marvelled what they could 
be, and by some blind instinct did not make 
his hiding-place here, but selected a spot pro- 
tected by a mound of empty boxes close to 
a little timber gate which opened into the 
sally-port. 


85 


STRANGE STORIES OF 1812 

He heard the yells and shouts of the Ind- 
ians outside and above as they roamed about 
everywhere, searching for the “fire-water,” 
which they loved so well. They had indeed 
been doubly infuriated because the com- 
mandant had ordered the destruction of the 
whiskey and the powder. They fancied that 
some might have escaped, and were hunting 
for it like hounds on the scent. Harold could 
now and then construe an Indian word, and 
he thought of the barrels so near at hand. 
He had felt a broken candle in one of the 
boxes where he hid, and this he now lit from 
his flint and steel. As he groped his way, 
peering at the cellar bottom, he perceived 
several black trails converging towards the 
heap of casks. He blew out his light with a 
gasp, and a breath of ice stirred the roots of 
his hair and chilled his marrow as the truth 
flashed on him. Some of the soldiers had 
left full powder-barrels and a train to destroy 
the careless savages, if possible, should they 
go down with lighted candle or torch. Har- 
old crawled back to his ambush, and tugged 
with all his might at the little timber gate; 

86 


HAROLD WHITE’S PERIL 

but the bolts were rusty with damp and 
disuse. 

While he struggled he heard the outcries 
of the Indians nearer and nearer, and their 
thick tongues showed they had already found 
whiskey, a beginning which promised the ran- 
sacking of every rat-hole in the fort for more. 
With the strength of despair he struggled 
with the obstinate bolts, and, just as they 
began to creak a little in their rusty sockets, 
a dozen savages, doubly intoxicated with 
liquor and with the slaughter of the inhabi- 
tants of the fort, tumbled down the stone 
stairs at the other end of the cellar. With 
candles flaming in their hands, with faces and 
bodies hideously painted, and with eyes glow- 
ing in the flare of the lights like live coals, 
they looked like nothing less than the demons 
which Harold remembered to have seen in 
some of the Bible picture-books of that 
period. 

The boy’s only thought now was to force 
the gate, escape into the tunnel, and close the 
mouth again behind him. That was his one 
chance of escape. The maddened redskins, 
87 


STRANGE STORIES OF M2 


their eyes glittering in the weird light, waving 
their glittering candles from which smoulders 
of burned wick were dropping, chanting some 
sort of exultant song, ran about the cellar as 
if they were the figures of a monstrous night- 
mare. Their eyes at last fell on the pyramid 
of barrels, and they darted at the expected 
treasure - trove. Harold had never ceased 
tugging frantically at the gate, and when the 
bolts jangled back and he slid the barrier, it 
seemed his dangerous companions must have 
heard. Luckily the blissful thought of “ fire- 
water” made them blind and deaf to all else. 
He passed the portal, softly closed it again, 
and sped with whirling senses up the dark 
passage. But the strain had been too great, 
and he collapsed in a dead faint with a crash 
in his ears as if the earth had been shattered 
to its core. 

When Harold recovered his senses a disk 
of light in front marked the outlet to sun- 
shine, but in the rear the tunnel was choked, 
and his legs were tangled fast in a mass of 
earth and d6bris. He extricated himself and 
88 


HAROLD WHITES PERIL 


made his way to the entrance, sore but sound 
of bone. One of the block-houses had been 
blown to fragments, and the other partly 
tumbled into ruins, while about fifty of the 
savages had been slain or terribly maimed. 
Groups of Indians stood in the distance 
sobered and awe-stricken. When he crossed 
to the Kinzie mansion after dark, he found 
the captives there under guard, but the 
captors altered into a merciful mood. Black 
Partridge had improved the occasion to im- 
press on their minds that the awful catastro- 
phe was a divine punishment for their 
treachery. 


Ill 

THE STORY OF NOEL DUVAL 
A Young Hero of the New York Frontier in 1814 

summer of 1814 was a troubled 
for the people living in north- 
New York. English troops 
•e concentrating at points just 
across the Canadian border, and there were 
rumors that they would soon invade the 
territory of the States. The farmers were 
being hastily drilled into militia companies — 
train-bands, as they were called ; the women 
were anxious and frightened ; the boys shared 
the general excitement, and were busy drill- 
ing. 

Early one warm July evening four persons 
were sitting in the little, lattice - covered 
portico of a cottage in the outskirts of one 
of the larger villages near the Canadian 
90 



THE STORY OF NOEL DUVAL 


border. The most noticeable of the little 
group was Madam Marston, an old lady, 
tall and straight, one of the type that fur- 
nished the New England pioneers with 
wives as hardy and brave as themselves. 
On the bench on the other side of the por- 
tico sat her daughter, the Widow Duval, a 
slender, gentle woman, but with the same 
look of determination in her fine gray eyes. 
Close to her side was Noel Duval, a boy of 
about fifteen, whose dark skin and keen 
aquiline features came from his French- 
Canadian father, but who had his mother’s 
eyes. The sharpness of the boy’s features was 
emphasized by the thinness of his face, which 
was pinched, as if by suffering. While a child 
he had met with an accident that had brought 
on a long illness, and left one arm withered 
and almost helpless. His sister, little Ninette, 
nestled close to her stately grandmother. 

“Mother,” the boy was saying, “Abram 
Dodds made me very angry to-day. He said 
I was not an American, because my father 
was not, and because I have always lived in 
Canada.” 


9i 


STRANGE STORIES OF 1812 

“ I wouldn’t mind what the boys say. 
When they know you better I’m sure they’ll 
stop trying to tease you.” She laid her hand 
on his shoulder as if to check his impatience. 

“Nay, daughter,” interposed the older 
woman, her eyes flashing, “let him stand up 
for himself — if he can. Because you chose, 
against my wishes, to marry a Canadian is 
no reason why the boy should be sneered at. 
Was not his grandfather, Caleb Marston, as 
good a soldier as fought in the Revolution, 
and a Captain, too? Let the boy stand up 
for himself, say I!” 

His mother only stroked the boy’s hair 
soothingly. “Bide your time, Noel,” she 
whispered; “your chance will come, and in 
the mean time keep guard over that quick 
temper of yours. Remember, you must be 
strong to take care of us all — Ninette, and 
your grandmother, and me — and a quick, 
unruly temper ever means weakness.” 

“ I’ll not forget,” said Noel. “ But still, it 
angers me to be told I’m not an American. 
If my arm would only get stronger, I could 
be a soldier like grandfather, and prove that 
92 


THE STORY OF NOEL DUVAL 

I’m an American. I am, really, am I not? 
for I was born in this country before my 
father took you back to his home in Canada.* 1 
Noel got up and walked off down the road 
towards the field where the boys held their 
drills. In spite of his weak arm he thought 
he could manage well enough in the drilling, 
and he was anxious to be asked to join a 
military company the boys had organized. 
This evening there had come together about 
twenty boys, all of whom lived on the neigh- 
boring farms. Their drill -ground was a level 
piece of pasture-land, bordered on one side 
by the forest, which in those times stretched 
far away to the north, even to the banks of 
the St. Lawrence River. 

When they saw Noel coming towards them 
the boys had just finished one of their evolu- 
tions and were resting, leaning on the wooden 
staffs which served them instead of real mus- 
kets. Jacobus Boonter, who was Captain, 
had a real sword — one that his grandfather, 
Ensign Dirk Boonter, had carried in the war 
of the Revolution. The boys had much re- 
spect for the old sword, especially when 
8 93 


STRANGE STORIES OF *812 

Jacobus pointed out some spots on it that 
looked as if they might be blood-stains. 

“Captain,” said one of the boys, “there 
comes Noel Duval. You know, he came here 
with his mother from Canada only two 
months ago, and they live with old Widow 
Marston on her little farm. He only has 
one good arm, but to-day he wanted to 
fight Abram Dodds for saying he was not 
an American. Shall we let him join the 
company? I know he wants to.” 

Broad-faced Jacobus shook his head grave- 

ly- 

“No, I think we’d better not. He’s so 
lately from Canada that he may be an Eng- 
lish spy. You can’t be too careful. They 
say he talks French. Besides, he’s only one 
good arm. No, I think we’d best not have 
him. I don’t trust him, and a one-armed 
soldier wouldn’t be good for anything, any- 
way.” 

“Well, I’d trust him,” said the first 
speaker, “and I know him better than the 
rest of you do. It’s true he’s lived in Can- 
ada, and when he was there he learned lots 
94 


THE STORY OF NOEL DUVAL 


of clever things about the woods, too; but 
he feels that this is his country, and he’s just 
as good an American as any of us.” 

However, the opinions of Captain Jacobus 
prevailed, and when Noel came up he was 
treated in so cool a way by most of the boys 
that at first he felt very angry; but he re- 
membered to check his temper. He remain- 
ed and watched the drill, in spite of their 
evident intention to treat him as an outsider. 

Soon it grew so dark that the boys had to 
stop drilling. They were lying about on the 
ground near the edge of the woods, resting a 
little before they parted, when of a sudden 
thirty or forty men, each leading a pony, 
loomed out of the dusk. They were walking 
rapidly, and keeping close to the forest. The 
startled boys remained quiet, and the men 
did not see them till they were close upon 
them. 

“ Hello! What’s this ?” exclaimed the one 
who seemed the leader. “Here, you little 
rascals, don’t you stir! Not a word — not a 
move!” 

The boys were frightened into complete 
95 


STRANGE STORIES OF 1812 


submission, and lay huddled on the ground 
staring at the new-comers. These, with the 
exception of the leader, who wore the uni- 
form of an English officer, were all dressed 
in deer -skin suits, with fur caps and moc- 
casins. The boys saw that they had been 
captured by a band of the dreaded Cana- 
dian scouts — about whose Indian-like feroc- 
ity many tales were told — and most of the 
young warriors trembled with fright. Jaco- 
bus tried to say something, but his voice 
broke, and the attempt ended in an igno- 
minious mixture of gulp and sob. 

“You won’t be hurt if you keep quiet,” 
said the officer, trying not to smile when he 
saw Jacobus and his big sword. His voice 
grew stern as he went on: “Pierre and An- 
toine, you stay and guard these boys. If 
one moves, you are to shoot him. Remember 
that order, boys; remember also that my 
scouts always obey. Be careful, Pierre, to 
let none of them escape to give the alarm. 
Join us when you hear firing. Come on, the 
rest of you.” 

In a moment the stealthy company of 
96 


THE STORY OF NOEL DUVAL 


scouts, leading their ponies, which stepped 
carefully, as if they too understood the need 
of quiet, were gone. The boys would have 
thought it all an apparition if the two stal- 
wart Canadians, Pierre and Antoine, had 
not been there to prove they had not been 
dreaming. The two scouts talked together 
for a short time in Canadian French; then, 
while the one called Pierre stood guard with 
his rifle, Antoine picketed their two ponies, 
and next began to picket the boys — that is, 
he tied together the wrists and ankles of 
each one, using some long thongs of deer- 
skin which he and Pierre carried wound 
round their waists. When all were securely 
tied the two scouts stretched themselves out 
on the grass, and, paying little further atten- 
tion to their trembling prisoners, began talk- 
ing — none of the boys save Noel could under- 
stand French. 

“ How long must we wait here with these 
wretched youngsters?” said Pierre. 

“ It will take an hour or more for them to 
encircle the village; and that must be done 
before the attack is made.” 

97 


STRANGE STORIES OF 1812 

“And we must lose it all! It’s a shame. 
Well, they ought to give us a better chance 
when — ” Here he dropped his voice so low 
that Noel could hear no more. 

While Noel’s ears had been busy, his fin- 
gers had not been idle. With the deftness 
and patience born of his forest training in 
Canada he had worked at the knots that 
bound him, and had at last succeeded, with 
the help of the darkness, in untying them. 
He lay just at the forest’s edge, and it re- 
quired only one sudden spring to carry him 
into the underbrush. 

The leap had been a quick one, but Pierre’s 
sharp eyes had seen the boy’s first movement ; 
and as Noel crashed into the bushes, the 
scout’s knife — which he wore at his belt, and 
which he could throw as an Indian throws 
the tomahawk — glanced through the air, 
severing a twig close to the boy’s cheek. 
Noel made two or three long leaps, then 
crouched down, and, feeling along the earth, 
found a heavy stick, and flung it crashing 
into the bushes at one side. 

Pierre, leaving Antoine to guard the others, 
98 


THE STORY OF NOEL DUVAL 

had sprung after Noel; he carried his rifle, 
which had lain by his side, wrapped in his 
jacket to protect it from the dew. It was 
very dark under the thick evergreens; and 
as Pierre, misled by the sound of the stick, 
went a few yards to one side, Noel rose and 
moved away, his moccasins making as little 
noise as do the furry feet of a Canada lynx 
creeping up to a moose. But even a lynx 
sometimes stirs a twig that rustles a dead 
leaf, and now this happened to Noel. Pierre’s 
ears caught a slight sound ; instantly he made 
out the crouching figure, and, throwing his 
rifle to his shoulder, fired. Thanks to the 
darkness, the bullet missed, but whizzed so 
close to the boy’s head that the concussion 
almost stunned him. Yet he felt like shout- 
ing for joy, for the scout, his muzzle-loading 
rifle empty and his knife gone, was practically 
unarmed. 

“Have you got him?” cried Antoine, from 
the open. 

“Not yet,” shouted back Pierre. “But 
I’ll have him, alive or dead. He sha’n’t get 

away!” LOfC. 

99 


STRANGE STORIES OF 1812 


Noel, knowing that there was now neither 
knife nor bullet to follow him, had leaped 
forward, running like a deer. The scout 
sprang after him, not twenty yards behind. 
The little forest creatures that run about 
at night — weasels and sables and hares — 
scrambled out of their way, and crouched 
down, wondering at them as they came 
dashing by. 

The two were not unequally matched ; for 
while the scout had the advantage in strength, 
Noel was the more agile. His small size was 
also of great advantage, as any one who has 
tried to run through the woods will under- 
stand. The low-growing branches of trees 
did not trouble the boy as they did the tall 
Pierre, who several times measured his length 
upon the ground. 

They went on for what seemed a long time 
to the man and boy plunging through the 
underbrush of the woods, but which was 
probably not more than half an hour. By 
that time Noel felt that his strength was fast 
going. He was breathing painfully, and had 
been forced to slacken his pace, when he came 


IOO 


THE STORY OF NOEL DUVAL 


upon what at first seemed a thick growth of 
bushes ; as he broke through he found that it 
was a brush fence which some farmer had 
built through the woods to enlarge his past- 
ure. The boy, agile and light, had little 
trouble; but Pierre fared worse, and before 
he could struggle through the brush and the 
tops of fallen trees that composed the fence, 
Noel had doubled the distance between them. 

As Noel hurried on as fast as he was able 
he was startled by some large animal, which 
he stumbled upon just as it was getting to 
its feet; it too was frightened, and ran on 
ahead. Noel saw that it was one of the 
farmer’s heifers. Here was an opportunity 
to mislead his pursuer, and the boy dropped 
to the ground by the side of a log and lay 
perfectly quiet. Pierre, out of breath, and 
struggling to make up the ground he had 
lost, kept on after the heifer, thinking it was 
Noel. As he leaped over the log, he was so 
near the prostrate figure that his foot actually 
touched the boy’s jacket. 

As soon as the Canadian was out of hearing, 
Noel jumped up and started towards the 


IOI 


STRANGE STORIES OF J8I2 

clearing, which he knew was near by. There 
was no time to lose, for Pierre must soon find 
out his mistake and return. In a few min- 
utes Noel reached the edge of the wood, and 
far off across the fields saw a black shaft in 
the starlight, the spire of the village church. 
It was fully three miles away; for he had 
been running from the village, rather than 
towards it. The attack, he knew, would be 
made within an hour. 

There was a stretch of nearly a mile across 
the fields before a road could be reached. 
Noel, tired from his dash through the woods, 
started forward across the uneven pasture- 
land. In spite of his anxiety, he laughed to 
himself at the thought of Pierre’s feelings 
when he should discover that he was chasing 
only a frightened cow. 

As he hurried on as fast as his tired legs 
would carry him, it seemed to his strained 
senses that an unnatural and forbidding hush 
pervaded the warm night. Even the notes 
of whippoorwills that came from the bushes 
near the forest sounded less loud than usual, 
and seemed to foretell a calamity. The hares 


102 


THE STORY OF NOEL DUVAL 

and other animals that come out in the dark- 
ness had hidden themselves. 

Finally he came to the road that led on to 
the village, still two miles away. There was 
little danger of being overtaken by Pierre; 
but there was a chance of his being seen by 
the sentinels that the raiders might station 
on the roads leading to the village. He could 
not go faster than a slow trot now, and he 
was panting painfully. His moccasin-clad 
feet ploughed through the dust, striking 
against the stones in the rough road. He 
thought, a little bitterly, that the other boys 
were right if they believed that he was not 
really able-bodied; the accident that had 
hurt his arm had weakened him in every 
way. However, he plodded on steadily, 
resolved that determination should take the 
place, as far as possible, of bodily strength. 

He had gone perhaps half the way when 
there was the sound of a horse’s hoofs com- 
ing from the direction of the village. He 
crouched down in the shadow of some bushes, 
and waited. In a moment the horse and its 
rider came in sight, and by the dim light Noel 
103 


STRANGE STORIES OF 1812 


recognized the village doctor, old Mr. Hed- 
ding, astride his white pony. Noel stepped 
into the road in front of the pony. 

“ It’s only I, doctor; Noel Duval, grandson 
to the Widow Marston,” he said, in a whisper. 
“Don’t make any noise! Was everything 
quiet at the village when you left?” 

“Quiet as usual, and that’s quiet enough, 
for certain. But what’s the matter, lad? 
Why are you stopping people in the high- 
road in this way? And why are you trem- 
bling and panting so? That’s not like a 
highwayman.” 

“They’re going to attack the village — raid- 
ers from Canada ! There’s no time to explain ! 
But you must let me have the pony! I’m 
all tired out — and I must get to the vil- 
lage!” 

For a moment the doctor scrutinized the 
boy’s face. Then he got down from the 
pony. “I was going to Farmer Tonwell’s, 
who’s down with his rheumatism again, but 
he shall wait. I wouldn’t do this at every 
boy’s word, but you look as if you know what 
you’re about, and I will take the chance.” 

104 


THE STORY OF NOEL DUVAL 


Already Noel had sprung to the saddle and 
turned the pony back towards the village. 

“Look out for my saddle-bags,” said the 
doctor. “There’s enough costly drugs in 
them to kill all the English in Canada. I’ll 
follow on slowly, and ’twill go hard with you 
if you’ve been trifling with me.” 

But the boy was out of hearing. It seemed 
as if Providence had come to the aid of his 
weak body, and Noel, with renewed hope of 
reaching the village in time to give the alarm, 
urged on the sturdy white pony. 

They had almost reached the outskirts of 
the little town when a man on horseback rode 
into the middle of the road, and confronting 
Noel, ordered him to stop. Noel thought he 
recognized the dress of the Canadian scouts. 
He bent low on the saddle and struck the 
pony sharply. An instant later a rifle blazed 
in his face. Then he realized that in some 
way the white pony had got by the other 
horse and was galloping down the road, 
terrified by the rifle’s flash. The scout’s pony 
was close behind. 

The white pony was running as it had not 

105 


STRANGE STORIES OF 1812 


done since it was a colt in Lower Canada, and 
had carried its habitant master in many a 
race, and won them, too. Noel was con- 
scious of a feeling of exultation; for he saw 
that the scout was losing ground. He cried 
out to his pursuer in French, and started to 
wave his hand in a derisive farewell. The 
effort caused a sharp pain to shoot through 
his arm, and he found that his hand and wrist 
were covered with blood. The scout’s bullet 
had torn its way through the flesh of his 
forearm. 

He grew very faint, and had to clutch the 
saddle tightly with his knees to keep from 
falling. His weak arm had served to hold 
the reins, but it was good for little else. He 
was so dizzy that he could hardly see, and 
he only dimly realized that he was close to 
the streams of light coming from the windows 
of the village tavern. The sound of a gallop- 
ing horse brought several men to the tavern 
door. 

“Raiders from Canada are coming! They’re 
close by!” he gasped, then his head swam 
round and he fell* from the saddle. After 
106 


RAIDERS FROM CANADA ARE COMING! HE GASPED 







THE STORY OF NOEL DUVAL 


that there was much shouting and hurrying 
to and fro, and finally the beating of a drum 
and the quick clang of the bell in the village 
church. But Noel, stretched out on a table 
in the tavern, was -undisturbed by all the 
turmoil. 

Even Congress heard of what had occurred 
that warm July night by the Canadian bor- 
der, and when the war was ended, Noel Duval 
was remembered in such a substantial way 
that he was able to provide a good home for 
his mother and the old Widow Marston and 
for little Ninette, and to keep poverty from 
ever again pinching them. 

One day in the autumn, Noel, who was 
now quite well of his wound, was asked to 
come to the drill-ground. Jacobus Boonter 
met him, and led him to where the company 
of boys were drawn up in line. “Noel Du- 
val,” he said, “we ask you if you will be our 
captain?” 


IV 


THE CHASE OF THE “ HORNET ” IN l8l2 

LEAT BRITAIN’S policy of keep- 



ing a great navy afloat has always 
been a difficult one to carry out, 
the difficulty arising not so much 


from the building of so many ships as in 
keeping them manned with their proper 
number of skilful sailors. In time of war 
this was particularly so, and all sorts of 
means were resorted to to fill her ships with 
men. They were arrested as vagrants, kid- 
napped, impressed by the press-gang, and 
even convicts were temporarily released to 
do duty aboard ship. Honest Jack Tar natu- 
rally disliked to associate with such creat- 
ures, and the service was not always a popu- 
lar one. 

If it was right to take men for the King’s 


108 


THE CHASE OF THE “ HORNET ” IN 1812 


service wherever found, it was of course right 
to take them from merchant ships at sea, 
and a great many American sailors were 
impressed out of American ships into Eng- 
lish ones, the only evidence against them 
being that they spoke English. Some of the 
sailors thus treated served reluctantly until 
a chance came of running away, while others 
absolutely refused to serve in the war-ships 
at all, preferring the horrors of imprisonment 
rather than to run the chance of possibly fight- 
ing against their own country. The name of 
one man is given who, upon being impressed 
into an English man-of-war, went below, 
seized an axe, and chopped his own hand off. 
He was released. 

Finally the impressment habit became so 
bold in its operations that we read of the 
British frigate Leopard firing into the Ameri- 
can frigate Chesapeake just as she had left 
harbor in time of peace, because she would 
not submit to be searched on the first demand. 
Her decks being cumbered with luggage and 
her batteries and crews unprepared, her com- 
mander at last submitted — the Leopard tak- 
9 109 


STRANGE STORIES OF 1812 

in g from her three men, one of whom was 
hung at Halifax as a deserter. 

Then it was that the United States blazed 
up in wrath. It availed not that England 
surrendered some of the men she had im- 
pressed, and made promises of amendment. 
The outrages had been carried too far, and 
something besides protesting was to be done 
about it. Congress declared war. 

It seems strange to us in this careful and 
cautious age that a young country with but 
a baker’s dozen of frigates should thus boldly 
challenge another whose navy numbered hun- 
dreds. But such was the case. 

Although our navy was small our merchant 
service was very large, and contained some of 
the finest ships of its class afloat. President 
Madison, while declaring war against Great 
Britain — which apparently left this great 
marine property at the mercy of England’s 
fleets — also declared an embargo which ef- 
fectually kept all those merchantmen from 
going to sea. 

The British Admiral on our coasts soon 
had a strong line of frigates and line-of -battle- 


THE CHASE OF THE “ HORNET ” IN 1812 


ships patrolling the coast-line from Halifax to 
Florida, with the double object of capturing 
our merchantmen when they would at last 
dare to venture from out the ports of Boston, 
Providence, New York, Philadelphia, Savan- 
nah, or Charleston, and also of protecting the 
long fleets of English merchantmen that 
streamed along our coasts from Cuba and the 
West Indies, borne on the broad current of 
the Gulf Stream eastward to England. 

That line of merchant ships was to the 
American sailors, cooped up by the embargo, 
what an orchard of ripe pippins would be to a 
school full of hungry boys. Get at it they 
must somehow, and when they did, as I am 
about to relate, the captures that the Ameri- 
cans made of these merchant vessels did more 
than anything else to shorten the war that 
followed, and to decide it in their favor. 
Hundreds of schooners and brigs were over- 
hauled. Longer masts were put in, and new 
sails bent. Light, easily handled batteries 
grinned over their rails, backed by a trusty 
Long Tom amidships, and with picked crews 
chosen from a thousand idle and impa- 


STRANGE STORIES OF J812 


tient ones these vessels, authorized by “let- 
ters of marque and reprisal” from Congress, 
soon swarmed out from every harbor, river, 
and sound, and confronted the blockaders 
with an entirely new and most puzzling 
situation. 

It required no off-shore storm to scatter 
the blockaders and let them out. Any dark 
night or favoring wind saw them slipping 
down to the harbor’s mouth, then out to the 
bar; then when the blockaders, discovering 
them at last, sought to close in on them, 
there would be a multitude instead of a few. 
Small boats with decoy lights running down 
the coast would follow eagerly in chase, while 
larger ones, making pretence of too close a 
chase, would put back to .port, while the real 
privateers would be ere daybreak far out 
to sea, spinning away on their journey in 
search of rich prizes and retaliation. When 
Commodore Rogers sailed from Sandy Hook 
in search of the annual fleet of British West- 
Indiamen, it is said he followed them clear 
to the coast of England by the orange and 
banana-skins left floating in their track ; but 

II 2 


SOMETIMES THE BIG ONE WOULD THROW A SHOT ON BOARD OF THE SCHOONER 












THE CHASE OF THE “HORNET” IN 1812 

when the American privateers got free they 
could be followed by the burning, drifting 
wrecks of ships they had captured but had 
no time to take to port. 

The Hornet , Captain Biddle, was a fine 
example of the American man-of-war schoon- 
er so successful in that war. Meeting the 
British man-of-war Peacock , a vessel of her 
own size, she captured her, also the Penguin , 
after a sharp fight of twenty-two minutes. 
A short time after this the Hornet , while mak- 
ing her way over the Indian Ocean in search of 
fights or prizes, came near being captured her- 
self. Mistaking the line-of -battle-ship Corn- 
wallis, seventy-four guns, for a huge Indiaman, 
she was allowed to come quite close before 
she discovered her mistake, and the big ship 
started in chase of her. All that night and 
the next day and through the next night did 
the great two-decker hunt the little schooner 
as a hound would a rabbit. Sometimes the 
big one would race up so close that her fore- 
castle guns threw their shot on board of the 
schooner, and some made holes in her sails. 

At last the seventy-four got a heavy favor- 

113 


STRANGE STORIES OF m2 

ing breeze that made every mast and spar 
creak, and nearly tore the studding-sails 
from their booms, and hand over hand she 
came tearing through the ocean swells, her 
forecastle guns flashing and booming as if 
in a giant shout of victory. The Cornwallis 
was known as a very fast ship, but her 
captain knew her reputation would be greatly 
enhanced if he could capture the swift Yan- 
kee schooner just ahead. Captain Biddle 
also knew the speed of his craft, and would 
have turned on and fought the big one if by 
so doing he could have outrun her afterwards. 

It was a glorious race. Through sunshine 
and shadow, through squalls and darkness, 
through night into sunrise and broad day- 
light again, they held their way, ploughing 
their tracks through the troughs, or sunning 
their copper over the foam-crested swells. 

Then came the final duel. Night was set- 
tling over the ocean again. The wind was 
strengthening, and the big one, with all sails 
set, was booming and flashing too dangerous- 
ly near for Captain Biddle to believe that his 
tired crew could stand another night, half- 


THE CHASE OF THE “HORNET” IN 1812 

drowned, on deck. He gave an order, and 
instantly the men sprang to the work of 
lightening ship. Splash after splash followed 
the guns’ crews as they raised their trusty 
cannon and rolled them over the rail into the 
waves. 

‘ ‘ She moves ! She moves ! ’ ’ shout the men , 
as one by one they go, until but a single one 
remains. 

“More yet!” cries Captain Biddle; and 
shot and chains and all kinds of movable 
iron-work are brought up and tossed over- 
board. “Still more!” shouts the Captain to 
the Lieutenant. “Send over the long-boat.” 
It seems a shame to destroy such a beautiful 
craft, but the men attack her with axes and 
saws, and in a few minutes her broken frag- 
ments stream far astern. “She is doing 
finely now!” cries the Captain; “but it is not 
enough yet. Send the forecastle over too.” 
Then amid a great chopping and rending of 
planks the forecastle went, and the waves 
were fairly alive with wreckage; but there 
was a great change in the saucy schooner’s 
behavior, for as the men threw themselves 
IX 5 


STRANGE STORIES OF 1812 


down on the decks exhausted after their 
labors, they noticed how beautifully the Hor- 
net's sharp bows now lifted over the frothy 
seas, how little water she took on board in 
her wildest dashes, and how rapidly the 
seventy - four was being dropped behind. 
Several times during the night they caught 
the glimmer of her towering sails, but each 
time she was farther away; and when at 
daybreak she was but a speck upon the 
horizon, and the quartermaster, looking at 
her through his telescope, announced that 
she was taking in her studding-sails, all hands 
knew that the Cornwallis was beaten, and a 
great naval race was ended. 


V 


"jack’s favorite” 

The Strange End of a Fight at Sea 

with England was declared on 
e 1 8, 1812. Immediately after 
t event American privateers 
rmed over the seas, and the 
English soon learned to fear these rakish 
little craft, and to scan the horizon with keen 
eyes lest a white gleam in the offing should 
prove to be the top-sail of a Yankee schooner. 
The British merchantmen went heavily arm- 
ed in those days, and carried large crews, and 
were sometimes only captured after a severe 
fight. 

It was in December of the same year that 
a smart New York schooner was lying at 
Carenage, the port of the miniature island 
of St. Bartholomew, one of the Windward 
117 



STRANGE STORIES OF 1812 

Islands of the West Indies. The island was 
then a Swedish possession, and hence, as a 
neutral port, Carenage was safe for American 
ships, unless, indeed, a very superior force 
of the enemy should appear. 

The schooner was an object of attention 
to the people of Gustavia, the chief town, of 
which Carenage is the port. Her graceful 
lines, her long, low sides, her tapering spars, 
her raking masts, and the stars and stripes 
proudly waving from the peak in the soft 
trade-wind, looked saucy, and undoubtedly 
meant mischief. She carried four guns, two 
on a side, and a Long Tom mounted amid- 
ships, and was manned by a crew of eighty 
men. She was named Jack's Favorite , and 
was commanded by Captain Miller. It was 
evident that although too small to contend 
with a man-of-war, she might prove a very 
uncomfortable companion to merchantmen 
carrying the rich products of the West Indies 
to England. 

The Jack's Favorite had been at Carenage 
some days, waiting for news of some prey 
worth the chase and capture, and taking in 
118 


“JACK’S FAVORITE” 


water and provisions. All seemed tranquil, 
and no danger appeared to threaten as Cap- 
tain Miller lounged on shore, and the jolly 
tars took turns in their day off to roam over 
the little island. But the scene changed 
when another sail hove in sight off the port; 
it was a schooner that was seen heading in. 
Her heavy spars and large sails, and ttie guns 
seen through her red port-holes, announced 
her to be a man-of-war, and soon the red 
flag flaunting out beyond the foretop-sail 
gave the danger signal. It proved to be 
the British schooner - of - war Subtle , heav- 
ily armed, and a most formidable antag- 
onist. 

The harbor of Carenage is small, and there- 
fore the two schooners were soon anchored 
close together — too close, in fact, to make it 
certain that hostilities could be avoided in 
port. The orders could be heard from one 
ship to the other, and the morning gun which 
caused the American flag to be hoisted also 
sounded for the raising of the English colors. 
The crews of the two hostile ships met or 
jostled each other in the streets of the town, 
119 


STRANGE STORIES OF 1812 

and the two captains glared at each other in 
the places of public resort. 

To the people of the island the situation 
was one of intense interest and excitement. 
It was certain that within a few days a 
battle must come off between the two ships, 
for as soon as one left, the other would 
follow, and it was quite possible that a colli- 
sion between the crews on shore might hasten 
the conflict before the American schooner 
should put to sea. The captain of the Subtle 
exhibited intense feeling, and had not the 
slightest hesitation in declaring before the 
citizens of Gustavia that he would follow 
the Yankee privateer. 

By the law of nations both ships could 
not put to sea at the same moment. The 
one that started first must be entirely clear 
of the port before the other one could follow. 
Weary of waiting, and well aware that the 
enemy’s ship would certainly not stir from 
her anchorage before he did, Captain Miller 
decided to make sail and run his chances of 
escaping from his wily foe. He trusted to 
the speed of Jack's Favorite rather than to 


120 


JACK’S FAVORITE 


her guns, for the English schooner was far 
more powerful both in guns and men, and 
in a square fight would probably prove too 
much for the privateer. 

Lively as crickets, the Yankee seamen 
shook out the sails and got up the anchors 
with a merry click of the windlass. The 
weather promised to be fine, although even 
in the period of the trade-winds the weather 
of the West Indies is apt to prove treacherous 
to ships. They backed her around with her 
foretop-sail, and as the white canvas filled, 
the smart Yankee schooner slipped out to sea. 

In the mean time the crew of the Subtle 
were not idle. Every movement of the 
American schooner was watched with the 
utmost vigilance. Like chained lions they 
fretted and longed to begin the pursuit. 
When the moment came when they were at 
liberty to do so, and the order was given to 
make sail, they sprang up the rigging like 
monkeys, and got their ship under way as if 
they were running for their lives instead of 
seeking to take the lives of others. 

As the Subtle passed the fort, her crew were 
1 2 1 


STRANGE STORIES OF 1812 

beat to quarters, and the guns were run out, 
shotted for the combat; not that they ex- 
pected much of a fight ; the superior size and 
strength of their schooner and the confidence 
which a long period of victory had given to 
the British sailor inspired them with the hope 
that a few shots from their bow-chasers would 
insure an easy victory over the Yankee. 

It was Captain Miller’s intention to cruise 
among the islands and pick up merchant- 
men ; therefore as the Subtle cleared the port 
of Carenage the Jack's Favorite was seen 
heading in that direction, and showing a 
light pair of heels as she danced away over 
the curling seas. The English ship was soon 
covered with a cloud of canvas, spreading 
every stitch of cloth alow and aloft. In a 
short time it became evident that, notwith- 
standing the speedy lines of the pursued, the 
Subtle gained on her, owing to her greater 
weight and size, qualities which always tell 
in a fresh breeze. The spray flew like rain 
over their bows as the two schooners sped 
over or dived into the waves. The spars 
creaked and groaned under the great press- 
122 


JACK’S FAVORITE 


ure they were carrying. It seemed as if 
something must soon go, for the wind was 
rising, and the sea with it, all of which told 
to the advantage of the English vessel. 
One hour passed, and then another; the 
distance between the ships had lessened so 
much that the fight could no longer be de- 
ferred. It was opened by a puff of white 
smoke from the bow of the Subtle , followed 
by a roar that rang far over the deep. 
Ricocheting from crest to crest, the ball 
passed through the fore-sail of the privateer. 
Another and another followed, doing more 
or less damage, but killing no one. The 
American could not well answer to these 
unfriendly salutes until the enemy came so 
near that the Long Tom could be brought to 
bear. 

At length the two ships drew so close to- 
gether that they ran side by side, pouring in 
broadsides until one or the other should be 
so crippled as to allow of an attempt at 
boarding, if she did not first surrender. 

In the mean time, both crews were under 
such excitement, absorbed by the fury of 
12 3 


STRANGE STORIES OF 1812 


battle, that they failed to perceive, or at 
any rate to fully realize, that a new and 
terrible element was about to take a hand 
in the conflict. It was one of those wild, 
sudden squalls which sometimes come up in 
those seas with appalling violence. It struck 
both ships at the same moment. At first 
they felt only a part of its force, and the 
battle went on amid the howling of the winds 
and the crashing of spars and sails as the 
vessels bent over before the blast and drove 
through the water enveloped in foam. But 
there came a moment when the wind pealed 
above ( the boom of cannon, and the rain 
swept over the sea a solid wall of water, and 
hissed over the whipped surface of the billows 
like a caldron. The privateer careened to 
the blast until her lee rail touched the water, 
which poured like a sluice through the port- 
holes. She would have gone over completely 
if the upper sails had not blown out of the 
bolt-ropes and flown to leeward like scraps 
of vapor. Without waiting for orders, the 
crew left the guns and sprang to the halyards. 

Hard down ! Hard down ! ’ ’ cried Captain 
124 


“JACK’S FAVORITE 


Miller to the man at the helm. The fore- 
top-sail with part of the top-mast had already 
gone, which eased the schooner as she slowly 
came into the wind and righted, relieved from 
the lateral pressure that had kept her on her 
beam ends wallowing in the fierce surges. 
The nimble crew now took in such sails as 
were left. The squall did not last long, and 
when its force was spent the sun came out 
again and smiled as peacefully as if it had 
never hid its face behind threatening clouds. 
The Jack's Favorite was then found to have 
sustained no irreparable damages. A gun 
was dismounted, two or three of the crew 
were wounded, a spar or two was carried 
away ; but she was still in fighting trim, and 
every one expected that the battle with the 
enemy would be renewed. 

But when the crew of the privateer scanned 
the horizon for their formidable foe, to dis- 
cover from what quarter he would again 
attack them, they were amazed to find that 
the British schooner had disappeared. Long 
and earnestly they looked, but saw nothing 
but sea and sky. A few moments before, 

IO 125 


STRANGE STORIES OF 1812 


the Subtle had been within pistol-shot of the 
privateer, her guns vomiting fire and shot, 
and now she was. nowhere to be seen. It 
was almost incredible, and yet the fact' could 
no longer be doubted, that she must have 
gone down in the squall with all on board. 

They were enemies who manned the ill- 
fated ship, but if any were left above water, 
humanity bade that every effort be made to 
rescue them without delay. Captain Miller 
ordered his ship to be put about, and sailed 
in the direction where the man-of-war was 
last seen. The lookout aloft soon reported 
some objects floating on the top of the water. 
They were found to be a boat, bottom up- 
ward, bits of boards and spars, hammock- 
cloths, and, more significant still, numbers 
of hats and caps. But not a human being 
was to be seen; all the crew of the lost ship 
to the last man had vanished. One might 
suppose that a few might have clung to the 
spars and been saved ; but if any did so, they 
were doubtless devoured by the sharks which 
swarm in those seas and steal his last chance 
from the drowning seaman. There is a well- 
126 


“JACK’S FAVORITE” 


authenticated instance of this sort in the case 
of the British man-of-war schooner Magpie , 
capsized by a squall on a summer’s evening. 
The crew were eaten by sharks, two only 
escaping in a boat. 


VI 


A YANKEE SMACK AND A BRITISH CRUISER 

were brave spirits who stood 
B T Ion the wharves of South Street, 
H * Si New York city, on a warm day of 
0 ®ttW®the summer of 1813. Brave they 
were, and rash too, one might have thought, 
if he had listened to the wild schemes they 
were plotting in animated tones. The war 
with England had now been going on for 
some time. If our flag had not always been 
attended with victory on land, at sea an 
almost uninterrupted run of success had 
filled our people with pride, and given in- 
creased daring to our sailors. 

On the occasion referred to a stroller along 
South Street might have seen a few square- 
rigged vessels lying at the wharves, brigs and 
ships, large for those days, but of no great 
128 


A YANKEE SMACK AND A BRITISH CRUISER 


size according to our present notions. A 
number of sloops and schooners were also 
grouped in the slips, a large proportion of 
the latter being top-sail schooners carrying 
square sails on the foretop-mast, a rig now 
entirely abandoned by Americans. The 
sloops also carried square top-sails. 

The jolly tars who moved with rolling gait 
along those wharves wore smooth faces, and 
their hair was done up into stiff pigtail 
queues. Quite a number of these odd-look- 
ing salts were gathered about the fishing- 
smack Yankee , a trim little schooner made 
fast to the wharf, with her main-sail hanging 
loose in the brails. 

“ Boys,” said a burly fellow, “ this venture’s 
mighty risky ; the chances are agin us ; but 
if you’re bound for to try it, messmates, I 
am not the man to hold back ; so you can 
just count me in.” 

“Well,” spoke up a tall, loose-jointed 
sailor, taking a pipe from his mouth, “it’s 
just here: we’ve either got to drop down 
with the next tide, or the game’s up. It’s 
flood-tide in two hours. I want forty men, 
129 


STRANGE STORIES OF 1812 

and there’s more’n that here now. I am 
going to take the Yankee alongside the 
Britisher if it rains thunder-bolts. Who’s 
going along?” 

Captain Peter Jones was the speaker, and 
he uttered his brief sentences with a rough 
eloquence that told on his audience. One 
after another called out his name, and was 
put down on the list of volunteers, until 
Captain Jones had forty men ready to ac- 
company him in his desperate undertaking. 

A pilot who had arrived from down the 
bay early in the morning had reported that 
two English cruisers were off Sandy Hook — 
a large frigate and a sloop-of-war. The lat- 
ter was standing close in, being desirous of 
obtaining a supply of fresh provisions. Pete 
Jones, skipper of the smack Yankee , was sit- 
ting on the taffrail of the smack, cleaning his 
pipe and thinking about his plans for the 
day. Naturally the presence of the enemy’s 
ships made it necessary to employ caution, 
and it was not every fine day that the smack 
could visit the fishing-grounds. Like all our 
sailors in those days, Captain Pete was in- 

130 


A YANKEE SMACK AND A BRITISH CRUISER 


tensely patriotic, and it flashed across his 
mind that instead of going fishing for mack- 
erel and halibut that day, he might try his 
luck fishing for British men-of-war. In a 
moment his brain was alive with the idea, 
and a way in which it might be done sug- 
gested itself to him almost immediately. 

Full of his novel idea, the skipper got his 
long legs out of the snarl in which they were 
twisted under him, and grasping the line 
that held the schooner to the wharf, swung 
himself on shore. 

The news that Pete Jones was going to 
start on a cruise of a novel sort brought a 
crowd down to the wharf, to whom he un- 
folded his plan. Whatever was to be done 
must be done quickly, for everything de- 
pended on secrecy, and the first fresh wind* 
might snatch the opportunity from their 
grasp. A light air was springing up from 
the northwest; with that and the tide the 
smack could soon float past the Narrows and 
reach Sandy Hook before sunset. She had 
no cannon, and if she had, they would of 
course be of no use against the powerful 
1 3i 


STRANGE STORIES OF 1812 


batteries of a British cruiser and her large 
crew. 

Forty volunteers were soon obtained, each 
provided with arms of some sort — some with 
muskets, others with horse-pistols with huge 
flintlocks, and some with cutlasses and axes. 
But their best weapons were the stout hearts 
in their bosoms. Skipper Jones, however, 
proposed to capture the enemy’s ship Eagle 
with weapons of a different sort, and scarcely 
less singular than the lamps with which 
Gideon defeated the Midianites : they were a 
cow, a sheep, and a pig placed on deck be- 
tween the masts in plain sight from a dis- 
tance. 

When the Yankee had got fairly under way, 
and was slipping past Governor’s Island, the 
skipper ordered every man except two of his 
crew to go below. They were instructed to 
keep quiet, and on no account to show their 
heads above the hatchway until commanded 
to appear. The skipper also caused the sails 
to hang loose, as if carelessly hoisted, still 
more to suggest the shiftlessness of fishermen 
and coasters. Smoking vigorously, he tended 
132 


A YANKEE SMACK AND A BRITISH CRUISER 


the tiller, apparently with an air of negli- 
gence that scarcely concealed the anxiety he 
felt as the smack gradually approached the 
scene of action. Captain Jones was anxious 
lest the enemy should have left before he 
could reach him, and also lest his plans should 
fail if he should reach the Eagle. 

The first cause of anxiety ceased when the 
Yankee cleared the Narrows, and the Eagle 
was plainly seen standing off and on near 
Sandy Hook. But now came the question, 
how was Captain Pete Jones, of the smack 
Yankee , to hoist the stars and stripes at the 
Eagle's peak, where the red banner of Eng- 
land was proudly waving? To bring such a 
change about took a stout heart and a cool 
head. Captain Jones had both. 

When the Yankee was sighted from the 
deck of the Eagle , the British captain caused 
his ship to be directed towards the rusty- 
looking smack, with the hope that he might 
be able to obtain some fresh provisions from 
her, or at least engage the skipper to bring 
him a supply the following day. 

Seeing the Eagle bearing down towards 
1 33 


STRANGE STORIES OF 1812 


him, Captain Jones adroitly changed his 
course a little, as if to head for the Shrews- 
bury River, showing neither timidity nor 
any interest in meeting the enemy’s ship. 
At the same time he so worked the helm 
and sails as to reduce the speed of the smack 
without exciting suspicion. This circum- 
stance enabled the Eagle to draw gradually 
nearer, until she was within hailing distance, 
when she summoned the Captain of the 
smack to heave to. The crew of the Eagle , 
suffering as they were for fresh food, felt 
their mouths water when they discovered 
the animals on the deck of the smack. 
Here, indeed, was enough fresh meat to give 
them all at least a good meal that would 
be refreshing indeed after the salt fish and 
salt “horse” they had been feeding on for 
months. 

“Come alongside and let us see what 
you’ve got,” cried out the Captain of the 
English ship. 

After a show of hesitation, Skipper Jones 
put his helm down, and with one or two 
short tacks drew up under the guns of the 
i34 


A YANKEE SMACK AND A BRITISH CRUISER 

Eagle. It was a critical moment. As he 
came alongside he cried, “Heave us a line, 
will you?” One of his deck-hands caught 
it, and made the schooner fast to the man- 
of-war. The English crew, having not the 
remotest suspicion of danger, were ranged in 
eager groups along the bulwarks, joking and 
chaffing each other, while their Captain de- 
manded what Captain Jones had to sell in 
the way of fresh meat. They had a right, 
he said, to seize his ship, and make him and 
his crew prisoners; but they needed fresh 
provisions, and they would treat him fairly, 
and pay him a reasonable price if he would 
sell them what he had on hand in the smack, 
and bring a fresh supply in the morning. 

Driving as sharp a bargain as he could, 
Mr. Jones finally accepted the terms offered, 
and the English crew were ordered to pre- 
pare a whip or tackle for hoisting the cow 
on board the Eagle. The strap was adjusted 
under her, and the English tars were hauling 
on the tackle and lifting the cow into the air, 
when Captain Jones gave a low whistle over 
the hatchway. Instantly forty armed men 
i3S 


STRANGE STORIES OF 1812 


sprang on deck and clambered up the sides 
of the man-of-war like spiders. The cow 
immediately dropped into the water, and the 
Englishmen ran for shelter hither and thither, 
most of them under the decks. The hatch- 
ways were at once placed under guard by the 
boarders, and it was impossible for any one 
to appear on deck without being cut down 
or shot. 

Finding himself powerless to act, with the 
deck entirely under control of the Americans, 
who were heading the Eagle towards New 
York, her Captain found himself obliged 
either to surrender or blow up the ship. 
Notwithstanding his intense mortification 
and desperation, he did not feel justified in 
resorting to the latter expedient, and there- 
fore called out through the companionway 
that he surrendered. He was thereupon per- 
mitted to come on deck, where he delivered 
up his arms to Captain Jones. The crew, 
informed of the surrender, now came up one 
by one and were disarmed. They were then 
ordered below, and a guard placed over the 
hatches. 


136 


A YANKEE SMACK AND A BRITISH CRUISER 


The return of the smack Yankee -was wel- 
comed, as may be easily imagined, with no 
end of firing of cannon and waving of bunting. 
Never before had so easy a victory been 
known. But they who were engaged in it 
knew that it was not so easy as it appeared. 
The result had been achieved by a combina- 
tion of courage, determination, and skill. 


VII 

HOW THE “GENERAL ARMSTRONG ” FOUGHT 
THREE BRITISH SHIPS 

^SJW^VERY American school-boy natu- 
j§ 1 rally takes a lively interest in the 
§ ^ I achievements of our navy. It is 
@PWPW0not only the ships of the govern- 
ment which have brought renown to our 
flag, but the courage and seamanship of our 
privateering sailors have reflected quite as 
much credit, and deserve to be as long re- 
membered. The American privateers of 1812 
were especially successful, because we were 
then beginning to build after models superior 
to any yet known — models which were the 
origin of our fleets of famed clippers, pilot- 
boats, and yachts. 

In all the thrilling annals of our hardy 
privateers no ship is more noted than the 
138 


FIGHT OF THE “GENERAL ARMSTRONG” 


brig General Armstrong. Among other ex- 
ploits, she engaged a British frigate off 
Surinam, and after a most gallant fight, in 
which Captain Champlin was wounded, ac- 
tually succeeded in escaping from her formida- 
ble antagonist. For this remarkable achieve- 
ment Captain Champlin received a resolution 
of thanks and a sword at a public meeting 
called for this purpose at Tammany Hall, 
New York City, then situated opposite to 
the City Hall Park. 

On September 9, 1814, near the close of 
the war, the brig General Armstrong once more 
passed Sandy Hook, outward bound, under 
command of Captain Samuel Chester Reid, 
a native of Norwich, Connecticut. As she 
stole away towards the east until lost in the 
closing shades of night, her crew little thought 
the beautiful schooner was sailing on her last 
cruise, although destined to win imperishable 
renown in her death struggle. 

The voyage out was rapid and uneventful. 
In fifteen days the lofty pointed peak of Pico 
Island, one of the Azores, was sighted, and 
then the lofty cliffs of Fayal. Rounding the 
i39 


STRANGE STORIES OF J812 


steep brown precipices, and entering the nar- 
row strait which separates the two islands, 
Captain Reid anchored in the open roadstead 
called the harbor of Horta, which is the chief 
town of Fayal. Although exposed to the 
winds, during the summer season the weath- 
er is so mild that Captain Reid was appre- 
hensive only of English cruisers. Fayal is a 
Portuguese island, and was a neutral port, 
but he knew this would not prevent an attack 
on him if surprised there by the enemy, so 
exasperated were they by the daring successes 
of the privateers whom they regarded as 
pirates. Captain Reid ordered the water- 
casks to be filled that very night, intending to 
proceed to sea the following morning. 

The privateer officers were preparing to 
attend a ball to be given that evening, to 
which they were invited immediately on 
arriving at Fayal, and the Captain was on 
shore conversing with the American consul, 
Mr. Dabney. It was about dusk of a still 
evening, the moon rising at the full, and they 
were looking over the port from the consul’s 
gardens, when a sail appeared creeping 
140 


FIGHT OF THE “GENERAL ARMSTRONG 


around the high northeast headland of Fayal. 
At that period this was a most suspicious 
circumstance. A short inspection of the 
stranger confirmed these suspicions. It 
proved to be the English brig-of-war Carna- 
tion. 

Not a moment was to be lost; for the 
enemy, having been informed by the pilot 
she took on board that a Yankee privateer 
was in port, stole close in, and anchored 
within pistol-shot of the General Armstrong. 
The enemy’s brig was much stronger than the 
American vessel. Judge, then, of the peril 
of the situation when, a few moments later, 
two other English vessels, a sloop-of-war and 
a frigate, appeared. Apparently there was 
nothing to be done but for Captain Reid to 
yield on the first summons to surrender, 
rather than uselessly to sacrifice his men to 
such overwhelming odds. Instead of doing 
this, however, he hastened on board, and 
made immediate preparations to resist to 
the very last. 

Perceiving that the Captain of the Carna- 
tion was making ready to board the General 
141 


11 


STRANGE STORIES OF 1812 

Armstrong by boats, Captain Reid cleared 
his brig for action, and slipping his cable, 
caused the privateer to be taken nearer the 
shore by means of sweeps, or long oars, such 
as were at that time used on small vessels 
in the absence of wind. She was moored 
near the fort. At eight o’clock the boats of 
the Carnation were sent against the General 
Armstrong , loaded with men. This mode of 
attack was chosen in order to spare the town. 
But the boats carried swivels and small car- 
ronades, which dismounted several of the 
privateer’s guns, and also her Long Tom 
towards the end of the battle. The gun call- 
ed by this familiar name was a long, narrow, 
eighteen-pounder cannon placed amidships, 
and considered very formidable in those 
days. 

The first boarders were received very 
warmly, and beaten back with the loss of 
twenty men. This repulse was so unexpect- 
ed that the enemy retired in confusion. It 
soon became evident that they had miscalcu- 
lated the ability and courage of the privateers 
and proposed not to make such a mistake a 
142 


FIGHT OF THE “GENERAL ARMSTRONG 


second time. The boats of the three ships 
were now massed, and filled with crews armed 
for a desperate undertaking. All their prep t - 
arations could be distinctly seen by the 
clear light of the full-moon shining in a 
cloudless sky. The Governor, with the nota- 
bles and people of Fayal, thronged to the 
shore to gaze on this extraordinary scene. 
The shrill whistles of the boatswains, the 
sharp orders of the officers, rang through the 
fleet, as the boats, manned with over four 
hundred men, started on their hazardous 
enterprise. We say hazardous, and yet it 
hardly seemed so at the time, for what could 
a handful of one hundred and thirty men in 
a small, low-sided vessel be expected to ac- 
complish against twelve large boats and four 
hundred stout sailors and marines swarming 
over her sides armed to the teeth, and leading 
up to the attack with volleys of cannon? 

The boats attempted to close with the 
privateer both fore and aft, in order to 
divide the attention of her small crew. But 
such was the activity of Captain Reid, and 
such the spirit of his seamen, that before the 
M3 


STRANGE STORIES OF 1812 


enemy could come fairly alongside of the 
vessel several of their boats were shattered 
and sunk by her batteries pouring terrific 
volleys of grape and canister. Long Tom 
wrought terrible execution. 

But the enemy were nearly successful in 
climbing over the bow, and were about to 
overpower the gallant defenders, when Cap- 
tain Reid came to the rescue after repelling 
the boarders on the quarters. The boarders 
were hurled back into the water as fast as they 
showed their heads over the bulwarks, and 
the brig was soon surrounded by mangled 
corpses. 

Baffled and beaten, the aggressors finally 
drew off their forces, carrying back to their 
ships less than one-third of the men they 
took into the battle. It sounds almost in- 
credible, but it is nevertheless true, that the 
loss of the enemy amounted to three hundred 
killed and wounded out of four hundred 
engaged, while the loss on the General Arm- 
strong was only two killed and seven wounded, 
the Second Lieutenant, Mr. Williams, being 
among the slain. There is no more desperate 
144 


FIGHT OF THE “GENERAL ARMSTRONG” 

naval fight on record. Of course the result 
indicates not only great courage, but remark- 
able skill on the part of the privateer’s com- 
mander and crew. 

However, the end had not yet been reach- 
ed, for at three in the morning the Governor 
caused Captain Reid to be informed that the 
Admiral was so infuriated at the resistance 
offered by the little Yankee brig that he was 
about to bring the guns of the fleet to bear 
on the General Armstrong and blow her out 
of the water, even if he battered down the 
entire city of Fayal in so doing. Resolved 
that she should not fall into the hands of the 
enemy, Captain Reid immediately scuttled 
his ship, and with his crew escaped on shore. 
Years after, her Long Tom was fished up by 
divers and mounted in the fort, where it was 
seen by the writer a few years ago. Would 
it not be quite worth the while for our gov- 
ernment to ask the Portuguese authorities 
for its return, and place it in some prominent 
spot in our capital as a reminder of the most 
gallant sea-fight in the history of the United 
States ? 


i45 


STRANGE STORIES OF 1812 


On his return to the United States, Captain 
Reid was invited to a banquet given in his 
honor at Richmond, Virginia. The Governor 
of the State was present. The Speaker of the 
House of Delegates presided, and closed the 
entertainment with the following toast to the 
distinguished guest: “Captain Reid: his 
valor has shed a blaze of renown upon the 
character of our seamen, and won for him- 
self a laurel of eternal bloom.” 

Another honor was reserved for the hero. 
Congress passed a bill presenting him with a 
sword in token of his remarkable services. 
After retiring from the seas, Captain Reid 
arranged the pilot service of New York, and 
regulated the signal stations of that port. 
But next to his exploit at Fayal he will be 
the longest remembered for designing the 
present flag of the United States. 


THE “ CONSTITUTION " 


“ Old Ironsides most famous ship of 
the American navy , was w Boston in 

1797. The following year she went to sea in 
our little war with France , but she fired her 
first shot against an enemy in 1805 > when, as 
Preble's flag-ship , shared in the bombard- 

ment of Tripoli. She had recently returned 
from foreign service when the War of 1812 
began. Of her wonderful exploits in that war 
Mr. Barnes affords a series of dramatic pict- 
ures — her escape , through Hull's marvellous 
seamanship , from a British fleet in July; his 
destruction of the “ Guerriere" in August; 
Bainbridge's victory over the “ Java " in De- 
cember; and in 18 1 5 Stewart's capture of the 
il Cyane" and 11 Levant," and another skilful 
escape from three British frigates. 

It was in 1830 that Holmes's familiar poem 
147 


STRANGE STORIES OF 1812 


— “ Ay, tear her tattered ensign down ” — aided 
in arousing a protest which prevented her sale 
and destruction. On the contrary , she was re- 
built. She went out of commission in 1855 , 
at Portsmouth , New Hampshire , but was after- 
wards used as a training-ship. She was re- 
built in 1877, and in 1878 the gallant old 
frigate crossed the ocean again. In 1897 she 
was laid up at the Charlestown Navy-yard, but 
in 1906-1907 she was refitted again and re- 
stored as nearly as possible to her original ap- 
pearance. 


VIII 


THE THREE-DAYS' CHASE OF THE 

“constitution” 

July iy, l8, IQ, 1812 



SJF during the naval War of 1812 
l any one man won laurels because 
)he understood his ship, and thus 
El triumphed over odds, that man 
was Captain Hull, and the ship was the old 
Constitution . 

Returning from a mission to Europe dur- 
ing the uncertain, feverish days that pre- 
ceded the declaration of war between Eng- 
land and America, Hull had drawn into the 
Chesapeake to outfit for a cruise. He had 
experienced a number of exciting moments 
in European waters, for everything was in 
a turmoil and every sail suspicious — armed 
vessels approached one another like dogs 
who show their fangs. 

149 


STRANGE STORIES OF 1812 


Although we were at peace, on more than 
one occasion Hull had called his men to 
quarters, fearing mischief. Once he did so 
in an English port, for he well remembered 
the affair of the Leopard and the Chesapeake. 

At Annapolis he shipped a new crew, and 
on July 1 2 th he sailed around the capes and 
made out to sea. Five days later, when out 
of sight of land, sailing with a light breeze 
from the north-east, four sail were discovered 
to the north, heading to the westward. An 
hour later a fifth sail was seen to the north- 
ward and eastward. Before sunset it could 
be declared positively that the strangers were 
vessels of war, and without doubt English. 
The wind was fair for the nearest one to 
close, but before she came within three miles 
the breeze that had brought her up died out, 
and after a calm that lasted but a few minutes 
the light wind came from the southward, giv- 
ing the Constitution the weather-gage. 

And now began a test of seamanship and 
sailing powers the like of which has no equal 
in history for prolonged excitement. Cap- 
tain Hull was almost alone in his opinion that 

150 


CHASE OF THE “ CONSTITUTION ” 

the Constitution was a fast sailer. But it 
must be remembered, however, that a ves- 
sel’s speed depends upon her handling, and 
with Isaac Hull on deck she had the best 
of it. 

All through the night, which was not dark, 
signals and lights flashed from the vessels to 
leeward. The Constitution , it is claimed by 
the English, was taken for one of their own 
ships. She herself had shown the private 
signal of the day, thinking perhaps that the 
vessel near to hand might be an American. 

Before daybreak three rockets arose from 
the ship astern of the Constitution , and at the 
same time she fired two guns. She was his 
Majesty’s ship Guerriere , and, odd to relate, 
before long she was to strike her flag to the 
very frigate that was now so anxious to escape 
from her. Now, to the consternation of all, 
as daylight broadened, three sail were dis- 
covered on the starboard quarter and three 
more astern. Soon another one was spied 
to the westward. By nine o’clock, when the 
mists had lifted, the Constitution had to lee- 
ward and astern of her seven sail in sight — 

151 


STRANGE STORIES OF 1812 

two frigates, a ship of the line, two smaller 
frigates, a brig, and a schooner. There was 
no doubt as to who they were, for in the light 
breeze the British colors tossed at their peaks. 
It was a squadron of Captain Sir Philip Vere 
Broke, and he would have given his right 
hand to have been able to lessen the distance 
between him and the chase. But, luckily 
for “Old Ironsides,” all of the Englishmen 
were beyond gunshot. Hull hoisted out his 
boats ahead, and they began the weary work 
of towing; at the same time, stern-chasers 
were run out over the after-bulwarks and 
through the cabin windows. It fell dead 
calm, and before long all of the English 
vessels had begun to tow also. But the Con- 
stitution had the best position for this kind of 
work, as she could have smashed the boats 
of an approaching vessel, while her own were 
protected by her hull. One of the nearest 
frigates, the Shannon , soon opened fire, but 
her shot fell short, and she gave it up as use- 
less. At this moment a brilliant idea oc- 
curred to Lieutenant Morris of the Constitu- 
tion . It had often been the custom in our 
I 5 2 


From the naintinfr hv Carlton T Ch 







CHASE OF THE “CONSTITUTION 


service to warp ships to their anchorage by 
means of kedge-anchors when in a narrow 
channel ; by skilful handling they had some- 
times maintained a speed of three knots an 
hour. Hull himself gave the credit for this 
idea to Lieutenant Charles Morris. 

All the spare hawsers and rope that would 
stand the strain were spliced together, and a 
line almost a mile in length was towed ahead 
of the ship and a kedge-anchor dropped. 
Then by hauling on the rope attached to the 
anchor the ship was pulled up to it and the 
operation repeated. At once the Constitu- 
tion began to walk away from her pursuers — 
as she tripped one kedge she commenced to 
haul upon another. Now for the first time 
Hull displayed his colors and fired a gun ; but 
it was not long before the British discovered 
the Yankee trick and were trying it them- 
selves. 

A slight breeze happily sprang up, which 
the Constitution caught first and she forged 
ahead of the leading vessel, which had fifteen 
or sixteen boats towing away at her. Soon 
it fell calm again, and the towing and kedging 
J 53 


STRANGE STORIES OF 1812 

were resumed. But the Belvidera , headed by 
a flotilla of row-boats, gained once more, and 
Hull sent overboard some twenty-four hun- 
dred gallons of water to lighten his vessel. 
A few shots were exchanged without result. 
But without ceasing the wearisome work 
went on, and never a grumble was heard, 
although the men had been on duty and hard 
at work twelve hours and more. 

This was to be only the beginning of it. 
Now and then breezes would spring from the 
southward, and the tired sailors would seize 
the occasion to throw themselves on the deck 
and rest, often falling asleep leaning across 
the guns — the crews had never left their 
quarters. 

From eleven o’clock in the evening until 
past midnight the breeze held strong enough 
to keep the Constitution in advance. Then 
it fell dead calm once more. Captain Hull 
decided to give his men the much -needed 
respite; and, except for those aloft and the 
man at the wheel, they slept at their posts; 
but at 2 a.m. the boats were out again. 

During this respite the Guerrifre had gained 
iS4 


CHASE OF THE “ CONSTITUTION ” 

and was off the lee beam. It seemed as if it 
were impossible to avoid an action, and Hull 
had found that two of his heavy stern-chasers 
were almost worse than useless, as the blast 
of their discharge threatened to blow out the 
stern-quarters, owing to the overhanging of 
the wood- work, and the shortness of the guns. 
The soundings had run from twenty-six to 
twenty-four fathoms, and now Hull was afraid 
of getting into deeper water, where kedging 
would be of no use. 

At daybreak, three of the enemy’s frigates 
had crept up to within long gunshot on the 
lee quarter, and the Guerriere maintained her 
position on the beam. The Africa , the ship 
of the line, and the two smaller vessels had 
fallen far behind. Slowly but surely the 
Belvidera drew ahead of the Guerriere , and at 
last she was almost off the Constitution's bow 
when she tacked. Hull, to preserve his posi- 
tion and the advantage of being to windward, 
was obliged to follow suit. It must have 
been a wondrous sight at this moment to the 
unskilled eye ; escape would have seemed 
impossible, for the American was apparently 
*55 


STRANGE STORIES OF 1812 

in the midst of the foe. Rapidly approach- 
ing her on another tack was the frigate Asolus 
within long range, but she and the Constitu- 
tion passed each other without firing. The 
breeze freshening, Hull hoisted in his boats, 
and the weary rowers rested their strained 
arms. 

All the English vessels rounded upon the 
same tack as the Constitution , and now the 
five frigates had out all their kites, and were 
masses of shining canvas from their trucks 
to the water’s edge. Counting the Constitu- 
tion , eleven sail were in sight, and soon a 
twelfth appeared to the windward. It was 
evident that she was an American merchant- 
man, as she threw out her colors upon sight- 
ing the squadron. The Englishmen did not 
despatch a vessel to pursue her, but to encour- 
age her to come down to them they all flew 
the stars and stripes. Hull straightway, as a 
warning, drew down his own flag and set the 
English ensign. This had the desired effect, 
and the merchantman hauled on the wind 
and made his best efforts to escape. 

Hull had kept his sails wet with hose and 


CHASE OF THE “ CONSTITUTION ” 

bucket, in order to hold the wind, and by 
ten o’clock his crew had started cheering 
and laughing, for they were slowly drawing 
ahead; the Belvidera was directly in their 
wake, distant almost three miles. The other 
vessels were scattered to leeward, two frigates 
were on the lee quarter five miles away, and 
the Africa , holding the opposite tack, was 
hull down on the horizon. The latitude was 
made out at mid-day to be 38° 47' north, and 
the longitude, by dead reckoning, 73 0 57' 
west. 

The wind freshened in the early afternoon, 
and, the sails being trimmed and watched 
closely, Hull’s claim that his old ship was a 
stepper, if put to it, was verified, for she 
gained two miles and more upon the pursuers. 
And now strategy was to come into play. 
Dark, angry -looking clouds and deeper shad- 
ows on the water to windward showed that a 
sudden squall was approaching. It was plain 
that rain was falling and would reach the 
American frigate first. The topmen were 
hurried aloft, the sheets and tacks and clew- 
lines manned, and the Constitution held on 
** i57 


STRANGE STORIES OF 1812 


with all sails set, but with everything ready 
at the command to be let go. As the rush of 
wind and rain approached all the light can- 
vas was furled, a reef taken in the mizzen- 
top-sail, and the ship was brought under short- 
sail, as if she expected to be laid on her beam 
ends. The English vessels astern observed 
this, and probably expected that a hard blow 
was going to follow, for they let go and haul- 
ed down as they were, without waiting for 
the wind to reach them. Some of them hove 
to and began to reef, and they scattered in 
different directions, as if for safety. But no 
sooner had the rain shrouded the Constitution 
than Hull sheeted home, hoisted his fore and 
main top-gallant -sails, and, with the wind 
boiling the water all about him, he roared 
away over the sea at a gait of eleven 
knots. 

For an hour the breeze held strong — blow- 
ing almost half a gale, in fact — and then it 
disappeared to leeward. A Yankee cheer 
broke out in which the officers joined, for the 
English fleet was far down the wind, and the 
Africa was barely visible. A few minutes’ 
158 


CHASE OF THE “CONSTITUTION 


more sailing, and the leading frigates were 
hull below the horizon. 

Still they held in chase throughout all the 
night, signalling one another now and then. 
At daybreak all fear was over; but the Con- 
stitution kept all sail, even after Broke’s 
squadron gave up and hauled to the north- 
ward and eastward. 

The small brig that had been counted in 
the fleet of the pursuers was the Nautilus , 
which had been captured by the English 
three or four days previously. She was the 
first vessel lost on either side during the war. 
She was renowned as having been the vessel 
commanded by the gallant Somers, who lost 
his life in the harbor of Tripoli. 

Lieutenant Crane, who had command of 
her when taken by the English, and who saw 
the whole chase, speaks of the astonishment 
of the British officers at the handling of the 
Constitution. They expected to see Hull 
throw overboard his guns and anchors and 
stave his boats. This they did themselves 
in a measure, as they cut adrift many of their 
cutters — and spent some time afterwards in 
I S9. 


STRANGE STORIES OF 1812 


picking them up — by the same token. Noth- 
ing had been done to lighten the Constitution 
but to start the water-casks, as before men- 
tioned. 

So sure were the English of making a 
capture that Captain Broke had appointed 
a prize crew from his vessel, the Shannon , 
and had claimed the honor of sailing the 
Constitution into Halifax; but, as a contem- 
porary states, “The gallant gentleman count- 
ed his chickens before they were hatched” — 
a saying trite but true. 

To quote from the Shannon's log, under the 
entry of July 18th, will be of interest: “At 
dawn” (so it runs) “an American frigate 
within four miles of the squadron. Had a 
most f atiguing and anxious chase ; both tow- 
ing and kedging, as opportunity offered. 
American exchanged a few shots with Belvi- 
dera — carried near enemy by partial breeze. 
Cut our boats adrift, but all in vain; the 
Constitution sailed well and escaped.” 

It is recorded in English annals that there 
were some very sharp recriminations and 
explanations held in the Shannon's cabin. 

160 


CHASE OF THE “CONSTITUTION 


Perhaps Captain Hull would have enjoyed 
being present ; but by this time he was head- 
ed northward. He ran into Boston harbor 
for water on the following Sunday. 

Broke’s squadron separated, hoping to 
find the Constitution on some future day and 
force her to action. In this desire Captain 
Dacres of the Guerriere was successful — so far 
as the finding was concerned; but the well- 
known result started American hearts to 
beating high and cast a gloom over the 
Parliament of England. 

The ovations and praise^ bestowed upon 
the American commander upon his arrival 
at Boston induced him to insert the follow- 
ing card on the books of the Exchange Coffee- 
House : 

“Captain Hull, finding that his friends in 
Boston are correctly informed of his situation 
when chased by the British squadron off New 
York, and that they are good enough to give 
him more credit for having escaped it than he 
ought to claim, takes this opportunity of re- 
questing them to transfer their good wishes 
to Lieutenant Morris and the other brave 
161 


STRANGE STORIES OF 1812 


officers, and the crew under his command, 
for their very great exertions and prompt 
attention to his orders while the enemy were 
in chase. Captain Hull has great pleasure 
in saying that, notwithstanding the length 
of the chase, and the officers and crew being 
deprived of sleep, and allowed but little 
refreshment during the time, not a murmur 
was heard to escape them.” 

It is rather a remarkable circumstance that 
the Belvidera , which was one of the vessels 
that in this long chase did her best to come 
up with the Constitution , had some months 
before declined the honor of engaging the 
President. For on the 24th of June Cap- 
tain Rodgers, had fired with his own hand 
one of the President's bow-chasers at the 
Belvidera , and thus opened the war. After 
exchanging some shots, Captain Byron, of 
the Belvidera , decided that discretion was the 
better part, and, lightening his ship, managed 
to escape. 


IX 


THE “CONSTITUTION” AND THE “GUERRIERE’ ! 
{August i p, 1812) 



|HE history of the naval combats 
j of our second war with Great 
► Britain, the career of the frigate 
\ Constitution, and the deeds of our 
Yankee commodores will never be forgotten 
as long as we have a navy or continue to be 
a nation. England, it must be remembered, 
had held the seas for centuries. In no com- 
bat between single ships (where the forces 
engaged were anything like equal) had she 
lost a vessel. The French fleets, under or- 
ders of their own government, ran away from 
hers, and the Spanish captains had allowed 
their ships’ timbers to rot for years in block- 
aded harbors. Nevertheless, this was the 
age of honor, of gallantry, of the stiff duelling 
163 


STRANGE STORIES OF 1812 

code, when men bowed, passed compliments, 
and fought one another to the death with a 
parade of courtesy that has left trace to-day 
in the conduct of the intercourse between all 
naval powers. In the duels of the ships in 
the past that have stirred the naval world, 
America has records that are monuments to 
her seamen, and that must arouse the pride 
of every officer who sails in her great steel 
cruisers to-day. 

Up to the affair of the Constitution and 
the Guerriere , in 1812, the British had not 
fairly tested in battle the seamanship or naval 
mettle of the Americans. With the excep- 
tions of the actions between the Bonhomme 
Richard and the Serapis , the Ranger and 
Drake , and the Yarmouth and Randolph , the 
war of 1776 was a repelled invasion. 

The twenty-four hours of August 19, 1812, 
began with light breezes that freshened as 
the morning wore on. The Constitution was 
slipping southward through the long rolling 
seas. 

A month before this date, under the com- 
mand of Commodore Hull, she had made her 
164 


THE “CONSTITUTION” AND “GUERRIERE” 

wonderful escape from Broke’s squadron 
after a chase of over sixty hours. 

Her cruise since she had left Boston, two 
weeks before, had been uneventful. Vainly 
had she sought from Cape Sable to the region 
of Halifax, from Nova Scotia to the Gulf of 
St. Lawrence, for any sign of a foe worthy 
her mettle. It was getting on towards two 
o’clock; her men had finished their mid-day 
meal, the afternoon drills had not begun, and 
an observation showed the ship to be in 
latitude 41 ° 40' and longitude 55 0 48'. Sud- 
denly “Sail ho!” from the mast-head stirred 
the groups on the forecastle, and caused the 
officer pacing the weather side of the quar- 
ter deck to stop suddenly and raise his 
head. 

“Where away?” he shouted to the voice 
far up above the booming sails. 

Almost before he could get the answer the 
stranger’s top-sails were visible from the 
lower rigging, into which the midshipmen and 
idlers had scrambled, and a few moments 
later they could be seen from the upper deck. 
The vessel was too far off to show her char- 
165 


STRANGE STORIES OF I8J2 


acter, but bore east-southeast, a faint dot 
against the horizon. 

Hull came immediately from his cabin. 
He was a large, stout man, whose excitable 
temperament was held in strong control. 
His eye gleamed when he saw the distant 
speck of white. Immediately the Constitu- 
tion's course was altered, and with her light 
sails set she was running free, with kites all 
drawing, and the chase looming clearer and 
clearer each anxious minute of the time. At 
three o’clock it was plainly seen that she was 
a large ship, on the starboard tack, close- 
hauled on the wind, and under easy sail. 
In half an hour her ports could be described 
through the glass, and loud murmurs of 
satisfaction ran through the ship’s company. 
The officers smiled congratulations at one 
another, and Hull’s broad face shone with his 
suppressed emotion. In the official account 
Hull speaks of the conduct of his crew before 
the fight in the following words: “It gives 
me great pleasure to say that from the small- 
est boy in the ship to the oldest seaman not 
a look of fear was seen. They went into 
166 


THE “CONSTITUTION” AND “ GUERR1ERE ” 


action giving three cheers, and requesting 
to be laid close to the enemy*’ ’ The Consti- 
tution gained on the stranger, who held her 
course, as if entirely oblivious of her pursuer’s 
presence. 

When within three miles, and to leeward, 
Hull shortened sail and cleared the decks; 
the drum beat to quarters, and the men 
sprang to their stations. No crew was ever 
better prepared to do battle for any cause or 
country. Although few of the men had been 
in action before, they had been drilled until 
they had the handling of the clumsy iron 
guns down to the point of excellence. They 
had been taught to fire on the falling of a 
sea, and to hull their opponent, if possible, 
at every shot. They loved and trusted their 
commander, were proud of their ship, and 
burned to avenge the wrongs to which many 
had been subjected, for the merchant service 
had furnished almost half their number. 

As soon as Hull took in his sail the stranger 
backed her maintop -sail yard, and slowly 
came up into the wind. Then it could be 
seen that her men were all at quarters also. 

167 


STRANGE STORIES OF 1812 


Hull raised his flag. Immediately in response 
up went to every mast-head of the waiting 
ship the red cross of old England. It was 
growing late in the afternoon, the breeze had 
freshened, and the white-caps had begun to 
jump on every side. The crew of the Con- 
stitution broke into three ringing cheers as 
their grand old craft bore down upon the 
enemy. When almost within range the Eng- 
lish let go her broadside, filled away, wore 
ship, and fired her other broadside on the 
other tack. The shot fell short, and the 
Constitution reserved her fire. For three- 
quarters of an hour the two yawed about 
and manoeuvred, trying to rake and to avoid 
being raked in turn. Occasionally the Con- 
stitution fired a gun ; her men were in a fever 
of impatience. 

At six in the evening the enemy, seeing all 
attempts to outsail her antagonist were in 
vain, showed a brave indication of wishing to 
close and fight. Nearer the two approached, 
the American in silence. 

“Shall I fire?” inquired Lieutenant Morris, 
Hull’s second in command? 

168 


THE “ CONSTITUTION ” AND “ GUERRIERE ” 

“Not yet,” replied Hull, quietly. 

The bows of the Constitution began to 
double the quarter of the enemy. The lat- 
ter’s shot began to start the sharp white 
splinters flying about the Constitution's decks. 

“Shall I fire?” again asked Lieutenant 
Morris. 

“Not yet, sir,” was Hull’s answer, spoken 
almost beneath his breath. Suddenly he 
bent forward. “Now, boys,” he shouted, 
loudly, so that his voice rang above the 
enemy’s shots and the roaring of the seas 
under the quarter, “pour it into them!” It 
was at this point, so the story goes, that Hull, 
crouching in his excitement, split his tight 
knee-breeches from waistband to buckle. 

The Constitution's guns were double-shot- 
ted with round and grape. The broadside 
was as one single explosion, and the destruc- 
tion was terrific. The enemy’s decks were 
flooded, and the blood ran out of the scup- 
pers — her cockpit filled with the wounded. 
For a few minutes, shrouded in smoke, they 
fought at the distance of a half pistol-shot, 
but in that short space of time the English- 
169 


STRANGE STORIES OF 1812 

man was literally torn to pieces in hull, spars, 
sails, and rigging. 

As her mizzen-mast gave way the English- 
man brought up into the wind, and the 
Constitution forged slowly ahead, fired again, 
luffed short around the other’s bows, and, 
owing to the heavy sea, fell foul of her an- 
tagonist, with her bowsprit across her lar- 
board quarter. While in this position Hull’s 
cabin was set on fire by the enemy’s forward 
battery, and part of the crew were called 
away from the guns to extinguish the threat- 
ening blaze. 

Now both sides tried to board. It was the 
old style of fighting for the British tars, and 
they bravely swarmed on deck at the call, 
“ Boarders away!” and the shrill piping along 
the ’tween-decks. The Americans were pre- 
paring for the same attempt, and three of 
their officers who mounted the taffrail were 
shot by the muskets of the English. Brave 
Lieutenant Bush, of the marines, fell dead 
with a bullet in his brain. 

The swaying and grinding of the huge 
ships against each other made boarding im- 
170 


THE SURRENDER OF THE “ GUERRIERE 
From the painting by Carlton T. Chapman 










THE “CONSTITUTION” AND “GUERRIERE” 

possible, and it was at this anxious moment 
that the sails of the Constitution filled; she 
fell off and shot ahead. Hardly was she 
clear when the fore-mast of the enemy fell, 
carrying with it the wounded main-mast, and 
leaving the proud vessel of a few hours before 
a helpless wreck, “rolling like a log in the 
trough of the sea, entirely at the mercy of the 
billows.” 

It was now nearly seven o’clock. The sky 
had clouded over, the wind was freshening, 
and the sea was growing heavy. Hull drew 
off for repairs, rove new rigging, secured his 
masts, and, wearing ship, again approached, 
ready to pour in a final broadside. It was 
not needed. Before the Constitution could 
fire, the flag which had been flying at the 
stump of the enemy’s mizzen-mast was struck. 
The fight was over. 

A boat was lowered from the Constitution , 
and Lieutenant Read, the third officer, row- 
ing to the prize, inquired, with “Captain 
Hull’s compliments,” if she had struck her 
flag. He was answered by Captain Dacres — 
who must have possessed a sense of humor — 
171 


STRANGE STORIES OF iSl2 


that, for very obvious reasons, she certainly 
had done so. 

To quote a few words from Hull’s account 
of the affair — he says : “ After informing that 
so fine a ship as the Guerriere, commanded 
by an able and experienced officer, had been 
totally dismasted and otherwise cut to pieces, 
so as to make her not worth towing into port, 
in the short space of thirty minutes (actual 
fighting time) , you can have no doubt of the 
gallantry and good conduct of the officers and 
ship’s company I have the honor to com- 
mand.” 

In the Constitution seven were killed and 
seven wounded. In the Guerriere , fifteen 
killed, sixty-two wounded — including several 
officers and the captain, who was wounded 
slightly ; twenty-four were missing. 

The next day, owing to the reasons shown 
in Hull’s report, the Guerrihe was set on fire. 
At 3.15 in the afternoon she blew up; and 
this was the end of the ship whose commander 
had sent a personal message to Captain Hull 
some weeks before requesting the “honor of 
a tete-a-tete at sea.” 


172 


THE “CONSTITUTION” AND “GUERRIERE 


Isaac Hull, who had thus early endeared 
himself in the hearts of his countrymen, and 
set a high mark for American sailors to aim 
at, was born near the little town of Derby, 
not far from New Haven, Connecticut, in the 
year 1775. He was early taken with a desire 
for the sea, and at the age of twelve years he 
went on board a vessel that had been capt- 
ured by his father from the British during the 
Revolution. 

Although he entered the navy at the age of 
twenty-three, he had already made eighteen 
voyages to different parts of Europe and the 
West Indies, and had seen many adventures 
and thrilling moments. 

During the administration of John Adams 
there occurred “that exceedingly toilsome 
but inglorious service’ * of getting rid of the 
French privateers who infested the West 
Indian seas. During this quasi war Hull was 
first lieutenant of the frigate Constitution 
under Commodore Talbot. In May, 1798, 
he had a chance to distinguish himself, and 
did not neglect the opportunity, although 
the upshot of it was tragic but bloodless. 
i73 


13 


STRANGE STORIES OF 1812 


It might not be out of place to relate the 
incident here. In the harbor of Porto Plata, 
in the island of St. Domingo, lay the Sand- 
wich , a French letter-of-marque. Hull was 
sent by his superior, in one of the cutters, to 
reconnoitre the Frenchman. On the way 
he found a little American sloop that rejoiced 
in the name of Sally. Hull threw his party 
of seamen and marines on board of her, and 
hid them below the deck. Then the Sally 
was put into the harbor, and, as if by some 
awkwardness, ran afoul of the Sandwich , 
which, as a jocose writer remarks, “they de- 
voured without the loss of a man.” At the 
same time this rash proceeding was being 
carried on under the eyes (or, better, guns) 
of a Spanish battery, Lieutenant Carmick 
took some marines and, rowing ashore, 
spiked the guns. The Sandwich was capt- 
ured at mid-day, and before the afternoon 
was over she weighed her anchor, beat 
out of the harbor, and joined the Constitu- 
tion. 

In the opinion of nautical judges this was 
the best bit of cutting-out work on record, 
i74 


THE “CONSTITUTION” AND “GUERRIERE” 

for Hull’s men were outnumbered three to 
one; and if he had not taken precautions, 
the battery could have blown him out of the 
water. But, alas and alack! all this daring 
and bravery went for worse than naught. 
Spain complained of the treatment she had 
received, and the United States government 
acknowledged that the capture was illegal, 
having taken place in a neutral port. The 
Sandwich was restored to her French owners, 
and, worst of all, every penny of the prize- 
money due the Constitution's officers and 
men for this cruise went to pay the dam- 
ages. 

Before the War of 1812, Hull distinguished 
himself by his fearlessness and self-reliance 
during the Tripolitan war. The two occa- 
sions that gave him renown during our 
struggle with Great Britain have been re- 
corded at length, and there is but to set down 
that, after the conclusion of the war with 
Great Britain, Commodore Hull was in com- 
mand at the various stations in the Pacific 
and the Mediterranean, and departed this 
life on the 13th of February, 1843. Of him 
i75 


STRANGE STORIES OF 1812 


John Frost wrote, in 1844, “He was a glori- 
ous old Commodore, with a soul full of all 
noble aspirations for his country’s honor — a 
splendid relic of a departed epoch of naval 
renown.” 


X 

THE “ CONSTITUTION ” AND THE “ JAVA ” 
{December 2Q , l8T2) 

[AM BAINBRIDGE, Commo- 
was one of those commanders 
were graduated from the mer- 
it service to take high place 
in the navy of our country. 

Owing to his own personal qualifications 
and character, he became renowned. Bain- 
bridge was born at Princeton, New Jersey, 
May 7, 1774. He was descended from an- 
cestors of high standing, who had for several 
generations been residents of the State in 
which he was born, his father being a promi- 
nent physician, who, shortly after the birth 
of William, his fourth son, removed to New 
York. As a boy Bainbridge conceived a 
great love for the sea; and although under 
177 




STRANGE STORIES OF 1812 


the care of his grandfather, John Taylor, he 
had been educated carefully for a mercantile 
pursuit, his desires and importunities were 
gratified, and at the age of fifteen he was 
placed on board a merchantman about to 
sail from the port of Philadelphia. 

In order to test him, he was given the berth 
of a common sailor before the mast. Strong 
and agile, with his natural aptitude and born 
courage, it was not long before he began to 
show what he was made of. After his fourth 
voyage he was promoted to the rank of first 
mate on board a vessel trading between this 
country and Holland. In the course of this 
voyage a mutiny arose which Bainbridge and 
the Captain put down, although there were 
seven men against them. For this act, and 
in recognition of his skill as a navigator and 
practical seaman, he was given command of 
this same vessel at the early age of nineteen. 

Bainbridge as a young man was not fool- 
hardy, but he was of that stamp that brooked 
no interference with his rights, and allowed 
no insult to pass by unnoticed. While in 
command of the Hope , a little vessel of about 
178 


THE “CONSTITUTION'’ AND THE “JAVA” 


one hundred and forty tons’ burden, mount- 
ing four guns and having a crew of eleven 
men, he refused to stop at the hail of an 
English schooner; whereat the latter fired 
at him, and Bainbridge, probably to the 
Englishman’s great astonishment, replied so 
briskly with his little broadside that the com- 
mander of the schooner actually surrendered, 
although his force consisted of eight guns and 
thirty men. Several were killed and wound- 
ed, and his vessel so much injured in the rig- 
ging and hull that he hailed Bainbridge, 
asking what the latter proposed doing with 
him. This was in the year 1796. There was no 
war between this country and England, and 
Bainbridge contented himself by calling the 
following message through his trumpet: “I 
have no use for you. Go about your busi- 
ness, and report to your masters if they want 
my ship they must either send a greater force 
or a more skilful commander.” 

A few days after this event, while on the 
homeward voyage, the Hope was stopped by 
a heavily armed British frigate, and one of 
her crew, an American, was taken out of her 
179 


STRANGE STORIES OF 1812 


on the pretence of his being a Scotchman. 
Bainbridge offered to make oath to the con- 
trary, but nevertheless the man was impress- 
ed. Within the same week Bainbridge fell in 
with an English brig much larger than his 
own ship, and surprising her by rowing 
alongside with an armed boat’s crew, he took 
from her one of the English sailors, leaving 

this message: “Captain may report 

that Captain William Bainbridge has taken 
one of his Majesty’s subjects in retaliation 
for a seaman taken from the American ship 
Hope by Lieutenant Norton of the Indefatiga- 
ble razee commanded by Sir Edward Pellew.” 

A contemporary adds : “ The captured sea- 
man received good wages and was discharged 
just as soon as he reached an American port, 
in no way dissatisfied with the service into 
which he had thus been forced.” 

Bainbridge ’s action in these small affairs 
attracted the notice of the Secretary of the 
Navy, and early in 1798 he was given the 
command of the Retaliation , a small vessel 
lately taken from the French by the elder 
Decatur. In the fall of the year the Retalia- 
180 


THE “CONSTITUTION” AND THE “JAVA 


tion, in company with the Norfolk and the 
Montezuma , two little vessels of about the 
same size, sailed for the West Indies, the 
squadron being under the command of Com- 
modore Murray. Off the island of Guade- 
loupe, in the month of November, three sail 
were discovered to the eastward that were 
supposed to be English. At the same mo- 
ment two other vessels were sighted to the 
westward. Commodore Murray sailed for 
the latter in company with the Norfolk , while 
Bainbridge was ordered to reconnoitre the 
three sails first sighted. Unfortunately they 
proved to be French, and, having the weather- 
gage, they closed the Retaliation and ordered 
her to strike. As both of them were frigates, 
one being U Insurgent and the other the Vol- 
ontier , there was nothing for the young cap- 
tain to do but to comply. The French 
commander, St. Laurent, declined to take 
Bainbridge’s sword, gallantly observing that, 
as he had no opportunity to fight, he should 
prefer that he would retain it. At once both 
frigates set out in chase of the Montezuma 
and Norfolk; and L’Insurgent, outsailing the 
181 


STRANGE STORIES OF 1812 

other Frenchman, was almost within firing 
distance of the two American ships when St. 
Laurent asked their force. The deception 
that Bainbridge practised, under the customs 
of war, was entirely pardonable; but in his 
reply he gave full swing to his imagination, 
and overstated the American armament by 
exactly doubling it, stating that the Ameri- 
cans were armed with twenty-eight-pounders 
and full of men. At once L' Insurgent was 
recalled from the chase, much to the chagrin 
of her Captain, who stated that les Americains 
did not carry a gun heavier than six pounds, 
for he had been close enough to see them. 
St. Laurent forgave Bainbridge the ruse, and 
treated him with great consideration. 

After being in prison for some time, owing 
to negotiations, Bainbridge was sent to the 
United States in his own vessel, which was 
filled with liberated American prisoners. 

Upon his return to his country he was 
promoted to the rank of master-commander, 
and put in command of the Norfolk, the ship 
he had saved. For over a year he cruised 
in the West Indies, meeting with many ad- 
182 


THE “ CONSTITUTION ” AND THE “JAVA” 

ventures, of which there is not space here 
to tell, and in 1800, at the age of twenty-six, 
he was given the highest rank then in our 
navy, that of Captain, and appointed to the 
command of the George Washington , with the 
duty before him, much against his grain, of 
carrying tribute . to the Bey of Algiers. He 
fulfilled this mission; but there was not an 
end of it, as he was forced by circumstances 
to place his vessel at the disposal of the bar- 
baric potentate, and to conduct a mission 
for him — no less than carrying an ambassa- 
dor and his suite, numbering some two hun- 
dred persons, to Constantinople, the Bey 
wishing to conciliate the government of the 
Sublime Porte. 

Despite his remonstrances, Bainbridge was 
compelled to do this, or the safety of every 
American in Algiers would have been in 
jeopardy, in addition to which the Bey de- 
clared he would immediately make war upon 
the United States. This disagreeable duty 
was performed, and the George Washington 
was the first vessel to fly the flag of the 
United States under the walls of Constanti- 
183 


STRANGE STORIES OF 18/2 

nople. The stars and stripes had never been 
seen there before; and as the name United 
States signified nothing to the governor of 
the Porte, Bainbridge had to explain that he 
came from the New World that Columbus 
had discovered. 

On the 2 ist of January, 1801, Bainbridge 
was again in Algiers. He declined, however, 
to anchor in the harbor, as it was evident 
that the wily Bey was not to be trusted. 
Later in this year Bainbridge was transferred 
from the command of the George Washington 
to the Essex , which was one of a squadron of 
four vessels, consisting of the President , the 
Philadelphia , and the schooner Enterprise , 
under the command of Commodore Richard 
Dale, whose object was to protect American 
merchant ships from the depredation of the 
Tripolitan corsairs. Bainbridge was employ- 
ed convoying merchantmen through the 
Strait of Gibraltar until the spring of 1802, 
when, his vessel being in need of repairs, he 
was ordered home. At once he was appoint- 
ed to the command of the Philadelphia , to 
take up again the service he had left. On 
184 


THE “CONSTITUTION” AND THE “JAVA’’ 


the 26th of August, not far from the strait, 
Bainbridge fell in with two suspicious sail — • 
one a brig, and the other, apparently, one of 
the hated corsairs. He hailed them, and 
found that the brig was an American, and 
the other a Moorish vessel — the Meshtoha. 
Searching the latter, he found the officers 
and the crew of the brig under the hold, they 
having been captured nine days before. He 
retook the brig, placed her crew once more 
on board of her, and made a prize of the 
Tripolitan. This capture was a decided 
check to Moorish depredations. On the 21st 
of October, while Bainbridge was cruising 
off the harbor of Tripoli, sailing after one of 
the pirates, he unfortunately ran on a ledge 
of rock that was not down on the map which 
he possessed. All efforts to force the Phila- 
delphia off the reef were unsuccessful, al- 
though everything was done to accomplish 
this ; and after being subjected for five hours 
to the fire of numerous gun-boats, a council 
of officers was called, and it was decided to 
surrender the ship as the only means of pre- 
serving the lives of her people. After this 
185 


STRANGE STORIES OF 1812 


followed the long confinement, during which 
Bainbridge saw from his prison-cell the at- 
tempts of the American fleet under Preble 
to rescue him, and the destruction of the 
Philadelphia at last. 

Shortly before the peace was made he was 
allowed to visit Preble’s fleet, under pledge 
of his word of honor to return, although the 
Bashaw exacted that he should leave a host- 
age. He returned to his confinement, un- 
able to effect conclusions satisfactory to the 
Turk and to Commodore Preble; but in 1805 
the Tripolitans gave in, the prisoners were 
exchanged after their nineteen months of 
painful captivity, and Bainbridge returned 
to the United States, where he was greeted 
with the warmest sympathy and exonerated 
for the loss of the Philadelphia by a court of 
inquiry. After making successful cruises in 
various commands, Bainbridge, being in 
America at the time war was considered 
imminent between this country and Eng- 
land, hastened to Washington and appeared 
before the cabinet, and, with Commodore 
Stewart, successfully urged the rehabilita- 
186 


THE “CONSTITUTION” AND THE “JAVA” 

tion of our little navy, that, owing to the 
mistaken policy then in force, had been 
allowed to fall into sad decay. Delighted 
at the result, he returned to Boston, where he 
took command of the navy-yard at Charles- 
town, which position he held at the time of 
the declaration of war against Great Britain 
in 1812. 

But, to quote from the American Naval 
Biography , by John Frost, “it is not to be 
supposed that one so adventurous as Bain- 
bridge could be satisfied to remain on shore 
comparatively inactive when danger and 
glory were to be courted on the sea.” Ap- 
plying for the command of a frigate, the Con- 
stellation, thirty - eight, was placed at his 
service ; but his arrangements were not 
completed when Captain Hull arrived in 
Boston harbor in the Constitution , after his 
victory over the Guerrihe. Owing to some 
private affairs that demanded his immediate 
attention, Hull was obliged to resign his 
command, and Bainbridge, at his own re- 
quest, was transferred to “Old Ironsides.” 
The Essex and the Hornet also were placed 
187 


STRANGE STORIES OF 1812 


under his orders, the former under command 
of Captain David Porter, and the latter un- 
der the brave Lawrence. On October 26, 
1812, the Hornet and the Constitution sailed 
out to sea, bound for the Cape Verd Islands. 
The Essex then being in the Delaware, was 
ordered to join them there; but circum- 
stances prevented her from carrying this 
out, although Porter did his best to find his 
superior officer and report. 

Thus we find, in the latter part of Decem- 
ber, 1812, the old frigate Constitution cruising 
in southern waters off the coast of Brazil. 
Her brave little consort, the Hornet , she had 
left blockading the Bonne Citoyenne , a British 
sloop-of-war, in the harbor of Bahia. Every 
day the Hornet dared the Englishman to 
leave her anchorage and meet her, broadside 
to broadside, in the open sea beyond the 
neutral limits and the protection of Brazilian 
guns. Writes Captain Lawrence of the 
Yankee sloop to Captain Green of the Bonne 
Citoyenne: “I pledge my honor that neither 
the Constitution nor any other American ves- 
sel shall interfere.” 


188 


THE “CONSTITUTION” AND THE “JAVA 


And, as if to emphasize this announcement, 
the Constitution spread her sails and sailed 
off to the southward, Bainbridge’s last mes- 
sage to the watching Lawrence being, “May 
glory and success attend you!” But Captain 
Green was prudent; the English vessel kept 
to the harbor with her load of specie and her 
superior armament, and Bainbridge it was 
who won “the glory and success.” Surely 
the Constitution was launched on a lucky 
day. About sixty hours after leaving the 
island of San Salvador behind her, the Con- 
stitution was again clearing decks for action, 
and the men were cheering as they jumped 
to the guns. The following account is com- 
piled from the Constitution's log and Commo- 
dore Bainbridge’s diary: 

It was the 29th of December; the vessel 
was in 13 0 S. latitude and 38° W. longitude, 
about ten leagues distant from the coast of 
Brazil. It was 9 a.m. when two strange sails 
were discovered on her weather bow. At ten 
the strange sails were discovered to be ships. 
One of them stood in for the land ; the other 
stood offshore towards the Constitution . At 
x * 189 


STRANGE STORIES OF 1812 


ten-thirty Commodore Bainbridge tacked ship 
to the northward and westward, and stood 
for the sail approaching him. At n a.m. he 
tacked to the southward and eastward, haul- 
ing up the main-sail and taking in the royals. 
At eleven-thirty made the private signal for 
the day, which was not answered ; then the 
Commodore set main-sail and royals, to en- 
tice the strange sail off from the neutral 
ground, and separate her from the sail in 
company, which, however, was not necessary, 
with everything drawing, was making up the 
as the other, coast. 

At twelve the American ensign and pendant 
were hoisted on board the Constitution. At 
fifteen minutes past twelve the strange sail 
hoisted an English ensign, and displayed a 
signal at her main- mast. 

At a quarter-past one, the ship in sight 
proving to be an English frigate, and being 
sufficiently distant from land, Commodore 
Bainbridge ordered the main-sails and royals 
to be taken in, tacked ship, and stood for the 
enemy, who soon bore down with an inten- 
tion of raking the Constitution , which the 
190 


THE “CONSTITUTION” AND THE “JAVA” 

latter avoided by wearing. At 2 p . m . the 
British ship was within half a mile of the 
Constitution and to windward. She now 
hauled down her colors, except a union- jack 
at the mizzen - mast - head. This induced 
Commodore Bainbridge to order a gun to 
be fired ahead of her, to make her show her 
colors. This was succeeded by the whole of 
the Constitution's broadside. Immediately 
the enemy hoisted colors and at once re- 
turned the fire. A general action now com- 
menced with round and grape shot. But 
the British frigate kept at a much greater 
distance than the Commodore wished. He, 
however, could not bring her to closer action 
without exposing his vessel to be several 
times raked. Both vessels for some time 
manoeuvred to obtain a position that would 
enable them to rake or avoid being raked, 
and it was evident that the Englishman was 
cautious and well manned. In the early 
part of the engagement the wheel of the 
Constitution was shot away ; but so well was 
she handled from below that her movements 
were hardly retarded. Commodore Bain- 
191 


STRANGE STORIES OF 1812 

bridge now determined to close with the 
British vessel, although in doing this he 
would expose his ship to be several times 
raked. He ordered the fore and main sails to 
be set, and luffed up close to the enemy in 
such manner that his jib-boom got foul of the 
Englishman’s mizzen-rigging. About three 
o’clock the head of the British vessel’s bow- 
sprit and jib-boom were shot away, and in 
the space of an hour her foremast went by 
the board ; her maintop-mast just above the 
cap, her gaff and spanker-boom were shot 
away, and her main-mast went nearly by the 
board. 

About four o’clock, the fire of the British 
vessel being completely silenced, and her 
colors in the main-rigging being down, she 
was supposed to have struck. The courses 
of the Constitution were now hauled on 
board, to shoot ahead, in order to repair her 
rigging, which was very much cut. The 
British vessel was left in bad condition ; but 
her flag was soon after discovered to be still 
flying. The Constitution , however, hove to, 
to repair some of her damages. About a 
192 


THE “CONSTITUTION” AND THE “JAVA” 

quarter of an hour after, the main-mast of 
the British vessel went by the board. At a 
quarter of five or thereabouts the Constitution 
wore, and stood for the British vessel, and 
got close to her athwart her bows, in a very 
effectual position for raking, when she very 
prudently struck her flag. Had she suffered 
the broadside to rake her, her additional loss 
would have been extremely great, for she 
lay quite an unmanageable wreck upon the 
water. 

After the British frigate struck, the Con- 
stitution wore, and reefed top-sails. One of 
the only two remaining boats out of eight 
was then hoisted out, and Lieutenant Parker 
of the Constitution was sent to t^ke possession 
of the frigate. She proved to be his Britan- 
nic Majesty’s frigate Java , rating thirty- 
eight but carrying forty-nine guns. She was 
manned by upward of four hundred men, 
and was commanded by Captain Lambert, 
a very distinguished naval officer. He was 
mortally wounded. The action continued, 
from the time the firing commenced till the 
time it ceased, one hour and fifty-five minutes. 
i93 


STRANGE STORIES OF 1812 

The Java was on fire and leaking ; nothing 
could have saved her or the souls on board 
if the Constitution had been disabled. 

The Constitution had 9 men killed and 25 
wounded. The Java had 60 killed and 101 
certainly wounded; but by a letter written 
on board the Constitution by one of the 
officers of the Java , and accidentally found, 
it is evident her loss must have been much 
greater. The unknown writer states it to 
have been 60 killed and 170 wounded. 

The Java had her own full complement 
of men, and upward of one hundred super- 
numeraries for British ships in the East 
Indies. Her force in number of men, at 
the commencement of the action, was proba- 
bly much greater than the officers of the 
Constitution were enabled to ascertain. Her 
officers were extremely cautious in giving out 
the number of her crew, but by her quarter 
bill she had one man more stationed at each 
gun than the Constitution. The Java was an 
important ship. She had been fitted out in 
the most complete manner to carry Lieu- 
tenant-General Hislop and staff to Bombay, 
194 


THE “ CONSTITUTION ” AND THE “JAVA” 

of which place he had been appointed gov- 
ernor, and several naval officers for different 
vessels in the East Indies. She had de- 
spatches for St. Helena, the Cape of Good 
Hope, and for every British establishment 
in the Indian and Chinese seas. She had in 
her hold copper for a seventy-four and for 
two brigs, building at Bombay. 

The great distance from the United States 
and the disabled state of the Java precluded 
any attempt being made to bring her to a 
home port. The Commodore therefore de- 
termined to burn her; she was set on fire, 
and the Constitution sailed away. Shortly 
after dark the British ship blew up. The 
prisoners were all landed at San Salvador 
and paroled, and, sad to tell, the commander 
of the Java , Captain Lambert, died soon 
after he was put on shore. The British offi- 
cers paroled were: i lieutenant-general, i 
major, and i captain of land service; in the 
naval service, i post-captain, i master and 
commander, 5 lieutenants, 3 lieutenants of 
marines, 1 surgeon, 2 assistant surgeons, 1 
purser, 15 midshipmen, 1 gunner, 1 boat- 

195 


STRANGE STORIES OF 1812 


swain, i master, i carpenter, and 2 captain’s 
clerks; likewise, 323 petty officers, seamen, 
and marines — making altogether 361 men; 
besides 9 Portuguese seamen liberated, and 
8 passengers, private characters, who were 
permitted to land without restraint. 

Lieutenant Aylwin, of the Constitution , 
was severely wounded during the action. 
When the men were called to repel boarders, 
he mounted the quarter - deck hammock 
cloths, and, in the act of firing his pistol 
at the enemy, he received a ball through 
his shoulder. Notwithstanding the sever- 
ity of his wound, he continued at his post 
until the enemy struck. A few days after- 
wards, when an engagement was expected 
with a ship, which afterwards proved to be 
the Hornet , he left his bed and repaired 
to quarters, though laboring under a con- 
siderable debility, and under the most excru- 
ciating pain. He died on the 2 8th of January 
at sea. The following is the official account 
that Commodore Bainbridge made to the 
Secretary of the Navy. It is as concise and 
dramatic as all the reports of our naval 
196 


THE “CONSTITUTION” AND THE “JAVA” 


heroes were in those days, and as he wrote, 
Bainbridge was suffering from serious wounds 
and in danger of his life: 

“I have the honor to inform you that on the 
29th of December, at 2 p.m., in south latitude 13 0 
6', west longitude 38°, and about ten leagues dis- 
tant from the coast of Brazil, I fell in with and 
captured his Britannic Majesty’s frigate Java, of 
forty-nine guns, and upward of four hundred men, 
commanded by Captain Lambert, a very distin- 
guished officer. The action lasted one hour and 
fifty-five minutes, in which time the enemy was 
completely dismantled, not having a spar of any 
kind standing. 

“The loss on board the Constitution was 9 killed 
and 25 wounded. The enemy had 60 killed and 
1 01 wounded (among the latter, Captain Lambert, 
mortally), but, by the enclosed letter, written on 
board this ship by one of the officers of the Java, 
and accidentally found, it is evident that the 
enemy’s wounded must have been much greater 
than as above stated, and who must have died of 
their wounds previous to their being removed. 
(The letter stated 60 killed and 170 wounded.) . . . 

“Should I attempt to do justice, by representa- 
tion, to the brave and good conduct of my officers 
and crew, I should fail in the attempt; therefore, 
suffice it to say that the whole of their conduct was 
such as to meet my highest encomiums. I beg leave 
to recommend the officers, particularly, to the no- 
tice of the government, as, also, the unfortunate 
197 


STRANGE STORIES OF 1812 


seamen who were wounded, and the families of 
those brave men who fell in action. 

“The great distance from our own coast, and the 
perfect wreck we made of the enemy’s frigate, for- 
bade every idea of attempting to take her to the 
United States. I had, therefore, no alternative but 
burning her, which I did on the 31st, after receiving 
all the prisoners and their baggage, which was very 
hard work, only having two boats left out of eight, 
and not one left on board the Java. 

“On blowing up the frigate Java I proceeded to 
St. Salvador, where I landed all the prisoners on 
their parole, to return to England, and there re- 
main until regularly exchanged, and not to serve 
in their professional capacities in any place or in 
any manner whatsoever against the United States 
of America until their exchange shall be effected.” 

Upon the return of Commodore Bainbridge 
to the United States he was everywhere re- 
ceived with the greatest joy. Congress voted 
fifty thousand dollars to him and his crew, 
and ordered a gold medal to be struck for 
him and silver ones for each of his officers. 
New York presented him with the freedom 
of the city, and many banquets were given 
in his honor. 

A pathetic and dramatic incident occurred 
when the wounded Captain Lambert was 
198 


THE “ CONSTITUTION ** AND THE “JAVA 


being moved off the ship at San Salvador. 
He lay on the deck suffering intense pain, 
when Bainbridge, supported by two officers, 
approached. Bending down with great dif- 
ficulty, he placed Captain Lambert’s side- 
arms on the cot on which the latter lay, 
saying that the sword of so brave a man 
should never be taken from him; then the 
two wounded commanders grasped hands in 
mutual respect and admiration. The cor- 
respondence between Lieutenant-General His- 
lop and Commodore Bainbridge, after Lam- 
bert’s death, shows plainly the lofty spirit 
that existed then between great - minded 
enemies. 


XI 


THE “ CONSTITUTION,” THE “ CYANE,” AND 


THE “LEVANT” 

( February 20, l8l$) 



iHARLES STEWART was a Phil- 


adelphian. He was born on the 


28th day of July, 1778, shortly 


after the evacuation of the city 


by the British. His mother was left a 
widow when he was but two years old. 
Overcoming many hardships, Mrs. Stewart 
managed to support herself and her large 
family of eight children during the troublous 
times of the Revolution. At the age of 
thirteen Charles entered the merchant-ser- 
vice as a cabin-boy, and speedily began to 
show that he had in him the material for 
making an officer. 

At the age of twenty he was in command 


200 



“CONSTITUTION,” “CYANE,” AND “LEVANT” 

of a vessel in the Indian trade, but shortly 
after he attained this rank he accepted a 
commission as lieutenant in the navy of the 
United States. Stewart’s able handling of 
the little schooner Experiment , of twelve 
guns, on several occasions brought him to 
the attention of the country, and his con- 
duct in the Mediterranean won for him the 
praise of his superiors and the admiration of 
the service. He was a fine-looking, energetic 
man, who possessed a manner that is said to 
have been most fascinating; but, like all of 
his school, he was above everything else a 
fighting-man. 

In the fall of the year 1814, after the 
repulse of the British at Norfolk, Captain 
Stewart, who at the beginning of the war had 
been in command of the thirty-six-gun frigate 
Constellation , was given the post then most 
desired above all others in our navy — that of 
commander of “Old Ironsides.” 

After undergoing some repairs in the navy- 
yard, the Constitution , with a veteran crew, 
sailed from the port of Boston and proceeded 
southward. For some time she hung about 


201 


STRANGE STORIES OF 1812 

the Bermudas, waiting in vain for an encoun- 
ter ; thence she sailed away for the coasts of 
Surinam, Berbice, and Demerara ; cruised to 
windward of the island of Barbadoes, St. 
Vincent, Martinique, off St. Kitt’s, St. Eu- 
statius, Porto Rico, and Santa Cruz, and 
succeeded in capturing and destroying the 
Picton of sixteen guns; a merchant-ship of 
ten guns ; the brig Catherine , ten guns ; and 
an armed schooner, the Phoenix. But no foe 
was seen that was worthy of her mettle, and 
it appeared that bad luck was in the breezes. 

At this time the Constitution must have 
presented a peculiar appearance while under 
way ; her sails were the same she had carried 
in her cruises under Hull and Bainbridge, 
and the shot-holes made by the Guerrihe 
and the Java were in plain sight, like the 
honorable scars of a veteran. Patched and 
threadbare, her canvas was in no condition 
to stand a blow or to hold the wind. In 
those days the Constitution was a marked 
vessel in many senses. In view of the repu- 
tation she had earned, there were no frigates 
of her class that appeared to seek her out, 


202 


“CONSTITUTION,” “CYANE,” AND “LEVANT” 

and it was not considered a disgrace to avoid 
a meeting with “the dangerous nondescript,’’ 
as the British press had labelled her. If the 
fact was once ascertained what vessel it was 
that carried that high freeboard and those 
brown patched sails, his Majesty’s com- 
manders generally showed a tenderness that 
their reputations would hardly lead one to 
expect. In the Mona Passage, for instance, 
Captain Stewart chased, but failed to come 
up with, the British frigate La Pique , and 
on two separate occasions he tried to entice 
the enemy to meet him by unfurling at first 
sight the enormous flag that also distin- 
guished the Constitution above the other 
frigates in our service, but all to no purpose ; 
and in March Stewart determined to return 
to the United States in order to refit com- 
pletely. But he was not to reach home 
without an adventure. 

Probably no vessel in the world had so 
many narrow escapes from capture as had 
the Constitution; only masterly seamanship 
had kept her from being taken. 

From 1813 to the close of the war the 
203 


STRANGE STORIES OF 1812 


English frigates generally cruised in pairs; 
and off the New England coast, on her 
return voyage, the Constitution ran across 
the Junon and La Nymphe , each of fifty guns. 
She managed to outsail them by a narrow 
margin, and arrived safely at Marblehead in 
the latter part of April. She rested in Mas- 
sachusetts Bay for seven months, completely 
refitting under the eye of Captain Stewart 
himself; and in December she again pro- 
ceeded to sea, and was then, beyond doubt, 
the best equipped and best ordered vessel of 
her class that ever answered helm. 

Stewart shaped his course for his favorite 
cruising-ground, the high seas to the east- 
ward of the Bermudas, and on the twenty- 
fourth of the month he captured the English 
brig Lord Nelson , and took the ship Susan 
with a valuable cargo, sending the latter to 
New York. Then he bore away east, with 
the intention of reaching the waters in the 
neighborhood of the Madeira Islands. 

The morning of the 20th of February 
began with light breezes from the east, and 
cloudy weather. At 1 p.m. a sail was dis- 
204 


“CONSTITUTION,” “CYANE,” AND “ LEVANT ” 

covered two points off the larboard and 
three leagues or more away. The Constitu- 
tion bore up at once, and made all sail in 
chase. In half an hour the stranger was 
seen to be a ship, and in a few minutes 
another vessel was made out ahead; both 
were close-hauled, and about ten miles apart. 
At four o’clock it was seen that the weather- 
most ship was signalling her consort, who 
immediately shortened sail and waited for 
her. 

For an hour the three vessels sailed on. 
The two strangers, that were closing on each 
other gradually, displayed no flags; and al- 
though at too great a distance to reach the 
nearer vessel, Stewart commenced to fire 
with his bow guns, in the hope that they 
would display their colors; but to no pur- 
pose. It was not doubted, however, that 
they were English, and the Constitution 
cleared for action. Soon they passed within 
hail of one another, and, hauling by the wind 
on the starboard tack, showed that they were 
prepared to fight. 

Now commenced the usual struggle for 

15 205 


STRANGE STORIES OF m2 


the advantage of the weather-gage ; but, 
finding that the Constitution could outpoint 
them, the British vessels gave up the at- 
tempt, and, forming in line about half a 
cable’s length apart, awaited her on-coming, 
shortening sail, and evidently preparing some 
concerted method of attack. At six Stewart 
shook out his tremendous flag, and the 
British ensigns climbed up in answer; at 
the same moment both vessels gave three 
rousing cheers. But in grim silence the 
Constitution bore down upon them, ranged 
up on the starboard side of the sternmost, 
and let go her broadside at a distance of only 
three hundred yards. The English replied 
with spirit, and the cannonading became 
furious. There being little wind, a great 
bank of sulphurous smoke, impenetrable as 
any fog, settled over the water on the Con- 
stitution's lee, and completely hid her antag- 
onists. For three minutes the Constitution 
ceased her fire altogether (the enemy having 
slackened also), and then Stewart descried 
the top-masts of the leader stretching above 
the rolling clouds abreast of him. He fired 
206 


“CONSTITUTION/’ “CYANE,” AND “LEVANT’* 

his broadside, and again the smoke swallowed 
her from sight, just as it was seen that the 
ship astern had luffed to take up a raking 
position on the larboard quarter. The su- 
perior seamanship of the American tars and 
the quality of the vessel they manned could 
not be shown better than by the manoeuvre 
which followed. Stewart braced aback his 
main and mizzen top-sails, and immediately 
the Constitution gathered sternway and slid 
backward through the smoke. What must 
have been the astonishment of Captain Gor- 
don Falcon, the British commander, when 
he saw alongside of him the enemy that he 
had hoped, a few minutes before, to take at 
such a disadvantage! The foremost vessel, 
that had received the previous broadside of 
the Constitution , kept pegging away at a 
spectre in the sulphurous cloud. 

At thirty-five minutes past six the enemy’s 
fire again slackened, and the headmost ship 
was discovered bearing up. Now the Con- 
stitution reversed her tactics, shot ahead, 
crossed the first vessel’s stern and raked her 
fearfully, sailed about the sternmost and 
207 


STRANGE STORIES OF 1812 


raked her also; then, ranging up within hail 
on the larboard quarter, she prepared for 
another broadside, when the last ship fired 
a lee gun and remained silent. At ten min- 
utes of seven Stewart lowered his boat and 
took possession of his Majesty’s ship Cyane , 
mounting thirty-four guns, commanded by 
Captain Gordon Falcon. The moon had 
risen by this time; the smoke had cleared 
away, and it was seen that the other ship 
was trying her best to get away to a place 
of safety. Seeing this, at once the Constitu- 
tion spread all sail in chase, and the smaller 
vessel, finding escape impossible, gallantly 
stood back close-hauled to meet her. They 
crossed on opposite tacks, and the Constitu- 
tion wore immediately under the enemy’s 
stern and raked her with a broadside. 

Again the Englishman spread all sail, and 
endeavored to escape by running free. The 
Constitution broke out her lighter sail in 
chase, firing well-directed shots from her 
starboard bow -chaser. At ten, seeing she 
could not escape, the English vessel fired a 
gun, struck her colors, and yielded. 

208 


THE CONSTITUTION RAKING THE “ CYANE 
From the painting by Carlton T. Chapman 










“CONSTITUTION,” “CYANE,” AND “LEVANT” 

She proved to be his Majesty’s ship the 
Levant , mounting twenty-one guns, Captain 
George Douglass. 

Before midnight Stewart had manned both 
his prizes, repaired his rigging, shifted his 
sails, and had his vessel in as good condition 
as before the encounter. 

The Cyane was a ship that had made a 
reputation for herself in the war with France. 
She was one of the crack sloops of war in the 
English service. Only a year before she had 
engaged a French forty -four-gun frigate, and 
kept her at bay until help came in the shape 
of a seventy-four. Her commander was so 
crestfallen at having to surrender that when 
he came aboard a prisoner he hardly recog- 
nized Stewart’s courteous greetings and com- 
pliments. 

Down in the cabin of the Constitution a 
little scene was enacted that must have been 
dramatic. Captain Douglass and Captain 
Falcon were treated as honored guests by 
Captain Stewart, and over their wine at 
dinner the day after the capture the two 
Englishmen indulged in a dispute, each 
209 


STRANGE STORIES OF 1812 

placing the responsibility for the defeat upon 
the other’s shoulders. 

Stewart listened without comment for 
some minutes, and then rising, gravely said, 
“Gentlemen, there is only one way that I 
see to decide this question — to put you both 
on your ships again, give you back your 
crews, and try it over.” 

Either the humor or the force of this re- 
mark must have struck each one of his late 
antagonists, for they ceased their bickering 
at once. 

An anecdote is related showing the spirit 
of the men on board the Constitution at the 
time. As she forged down upon the waiting 
English vessels grog was issued, as was 
customary, to the crews standing at the 
guns. An old quartermaster, noting with 
anger the eagerness of the men to claim a 
double share, as there were two vessels to 
fight, walked down the deck and kicked over 
two buckets of the spirits into the scuppers, 
exclaiming, “Shame, messmates; we need 
no Dutch courage on board this ship!” 

This little incident, while it might not 
210 


“CONSTITUTION,” “CYANE,” AND “LEVANT” 

have dampened the crew’s ardor, may have 
accounted for the lack of cheers. 

It is to be noticed that the weight of shot 
fired by the British vessels was heavier than 
the Constitution's by ninety pounds. 

In the action with the Guerrihe the Con- 
stitution had been hulled three times, and in 
that with the Java four times. In this en- 
gagement thirteen shots reached her hull. 

Only one of the prizes was destined to reach 
the United States — the Cyane — and the rea- 
son for this makes a separate story in itself. 

After the action the vessels set sail for 
the island St. Jago, and entered the harbor 
of Porto Praya, having previously touched 
at another of the Cape Verd Islands. 

On the 1 2th of March, as they lay at 
anchor under the guns of the neutral bat- 
tery, three ships were discovered in the 
offing. Soon they were made out to be 
frigates, and the Constitution gave signal to 
get under way. No sooner had this hap- 
pened than the forts on the shore com- 
menced firing upon the Americans, and the 
British vessels hoisted the English colors. 

2 1 1 


STRANGE STORIES OF 1812 


The Constitution and the Levant were stand- 
ing on the wind to the southward and east- 
ward, with all three of the enemy in chase. 
The Cyane bore up to the north, and shaped 
her course towards the United States. The 
Levant , a much slower sailer than the Con- 
stitution, kept falling behind, and Stewart 
saw that it would be foolishness to attempt 
to close with a force so much superior. 

He signalled Lieutenant Ballard, the prize 
commander of the Levant , to make back to 
the harbor; she came about, made the en- 
trance safely, and anchored in so close to 
the shore as to run her jib-boom over the 
Portuguese battery; and the latter, as if to 
show her “neutrality” to the satisfaction of 
the English, was dastardly enough to fire 
upon her as she lay there, and, despite the 
fact that Ballard did not reply, but hauled 
down his flag, the A casta and the Newcastle , 
two of the pursuers, came in and also fired 
at her a number of times. But, as if in 
poetic justice for the action of the Portu- 
guese, they did more harm to the town than 
to the ship. 


212 


“CONSTITUTION,” “ CYANE,” AND “LEVANT” 

When the officer from the British squad- 
ron came on board the Levant , he advanced 
briskly to the quarter-deck, and, with no 
attempt to conceal his eagerness, exclaimed 
to Lieutenant Ballard who there awaited him : 

“Sir, I believe I have the honor of taking 
the sword of Captain Blakeley, commander 
of the American sloop of war the Wasp." 

“ No, sir,” was the reply; “if you have an 
excess of pride in this case, you have the 
honor of receiving the sword of Captain Bal- 
lard, prize commander of his British Majes- 
ty’s ship the Levant .” 

It was evident from the crestfallen appear- 
ance of the Britisher that he had expected 
a different reply. To receive the sword of 
Blakeley would have been a feather in his 
cap. 

A strange state of things existed on board 
the Constitution as she sailed off to the west. 
She had on board no fewer than two hundred 
and forty prisoners, and the number of Eng- 
lish officers who were unwilling guests was 
double that of her own. As this was the last 
cruise of the grand old ship in the second 
213 


STRANGE STORIES OF 1812 

war with Great Britain, a short resume of 
her career will be of interest: 

Exclusive of the merchant - vessels that 
had been sent back to the United States, in 
her actions with armed vessels of the Eng- 
lish navy she had taken 154 guns, made up- 
ward of 900 prisoners, killed or wounded 
298 of the enemy, and the value of the prop- 
erty captured could not be estimated at less 
than one and a half millions of dollars. 

The strange discrepancy which existed 
between the loss of life on board of her and 
her antagonists is to be noted. In her action 
with the Cyane and the Levant she lost three 
killed and thirteen wounded, while the killed 
and wounded on board her opponents, so far 
as could be ascertained, were seventy-seven. 

The history of the Constitution forms one 
of the most brilliant chapters in the history 
of the American navy, which still preserves 
the gallant old frigate as well as her tra- 
ditions. 

7 . 4 | 


THE END 




















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